


Stuck with you

by Grimmy_hild



Category: The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cisco has a super bad doppelganger, Eventual Smut, F/M, Harrison Wells based on grumpy Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells, Light Angst, Older Man/Younger Woman, Romance, Slow Burn, kind of hate to love, research/vacation on another earth and suddenly stuck there, unknown earth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:02:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26467654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimmy_hild/pseuds/Grimmy_hild
Summary: *On hold*Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon take a research trip to another Earth, which Cisco’s new ability to create portals has made possible. It’s just problematic that Cisco’s doppelganger is a known super villain. Immediately, a self-proclaimed avenger deprives him of his powers. Now the shocked Cisco and Caitlin don’t know how to get back to their Earth. Out of despair, Caitlin asks Dr. Harrison Wells for help. A man who looks exactly like her former boss and revealed murderer.
Relationships: Caitlin Snow & Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells, Caitlin Snow - Relationship, Caitlin Snow/Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells, Caitlin Snow/Original Harrison Wells
Comments: 60
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! This story was in my head and now I'm writing it down. English isn't my first language so please call out on mistakes :)

The last few weeks had been exhausting. More criminal metas than usual had made Central City a dangerous place, and Caitlin often had to take a night shift. Then Cisco had revealed to them that he could see things when he touched things or people. They had done tests, and Caitlin had been surprised that the abilities of metas could show themselves months and years after the particle accelerator explosion.

While Cisco was practicing his Energy Projection, he had accidentally opened some kind of portal. Like the curious scientist he was, he had passed through. Caitlin had been worried and quite relieved when he returned after a few hours. He had seen other variants of their world in his visions, but apparently, he had really landed on another Earth through the portal. What a discovery!

It had been beyond question that they would visit and investigate this other Earth - or Earths, since Cisco claimed that there would exist an infinite load. Barry wanted to visit too, but Flash couldn’t get away right now. Cisco hadn’t gotten hold of all of his powers yet, but he would learn it and the creation of a portal seemed to work. He had practiced it several times this week.

So, they had agreed on a week. The thought of their research trip together caused excitement in her. There would be so much to discover and it felt as if they were kind of like Columbus and were discovering new countries. Or Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin who were the first two men to enter the moon. Or in general, like any scientist who discovered something. Nevertheless, it felt like something big. Something she could later tell her children and grandchildren.

Assuming she would have children and grandchildren at some point…

She stood in front of her wardrobe. Behind her laid a medium-sized blue suitcase. When she had taken it out from under her bed, she had felt a slight sting in her heart. The suitcase was a symbol of all the dreams she had and which seemed unattainable at the moment. Her life was so different now. It was the one she had bought for their planned honeymoon. It’s been two years since Ronnie had died in the explosion. Still, she hard troubles with talking about him, but at least she didn’t think about him every minute a day. Their time together became more and more blurred. Her wound healed, but sometimes she had still a bad conscience because she continued to live her life without him.

Iris had been trying for weeks to persuade her to go on a date with one of her colleagues, who found her attractive, but it felt too forced. She didn’t feel the urgent need for a new partner. She didn't want to especially search. The romantic relationship between Ronnie and her had just happened and looking for a replacement - just because she was single - didn't seem right to her.

It got dark outside and she had to turn on the lights in her bedroom. She probably spent most of her time in this room – with sleeping, apart from S.T.A.R. labs, because she worked always long. She had no friends except Barry, Cisco and Iris. How would she explain to others what she did for a living? Lying was not her strength, as she quickly got a bad conscience.

If she didn’t do anything with the only friends she had, or exceptionally had contact with her mother – which was not very often thanks to their difficult relationship – she had nothing much to do. It was sad how monotonous her private life was. For this, her work was all the more fulfilling, time-consuming and exhausting. The fact that she also researched in her own scientific and medical interests was added to this. She spent most of her remaining free time reading. Here and there, Cisco and she had a movie night. So that she knew the most important ones and the culture, as Cisco claimed. Iris was her only female friend. Also, she was the only one who was curious about Caitlin’s missing love life.

In the middle of her bedroom was a large comfortable double bed with many pillows. In the corner by the window was an old chair with a table, on which were her last read and started books. There was a fluffy carpet in front of her wardrobe. Her bedroom didn’t have the right style. She had always wanted to renovate it, but had not yet come to it. Her bed and wardrobe were in white and quite modern. The walls were rustic panelled and the chair would - nicely - be called vintage.

It was a mixture of old and new furniture. All over the apartment. After Ronnie's death, she couldn't live in their shared apartment anymore and taking the furniture with her… There had been too many memories attached to them and she had wanted to be done with her old life. You shouldn't mourn too long for things you couldn't change. That was easier said than done. At that time, it had been a big step for her to sell and donate the furniture.

Caitlin shook her head. How long had she just stood there thinking? This trip would already start tomorrow. She had to pack her suitcase.

It was autumn. Therefore, it should also be autumn on the other Earth. It was only for a week, but who knew what kind of occasions they would expect? Two jeans, one suit trousers, five tops, three sweaters and three blouses. A nice dress with matching high heels. Her favourite pyjamas with small pieces of pizza on them. Her two favourite bras and underwear.

One jacket to travel and one for the suitcase. Would she need a swimsuit? Maybe not. Caitlin put her toiletry bag and a small bag, in which she kept jewellery and make-up, in.

A purse. ID and passport (even if she didn't know if she would need them).

Last, she checked the note she had previously written to herself. She had everything.

Caitlin sat on her sofa with a glass of wine in her hand. She drank the rest of the bottle she had opened days ago, and read in the book that Iris had lent her. It was an extremely silly romance with humorous aspects. Usually she preferred more sophisticated literature, but she had to admit that she enjoyed the story so far. Sure, it wasn’t anything life-changing that would float around her head days later, but it was fun. Nonetheless, Caitlin wasn’t sure if she would admit it to Iris.

The next day she opened to a broad grinning Cisco.

"Are you ready?" He only had a backpack and she pulled a face.

"Did you _stuff_ your clothes in there?", she asked him as she closed the door behind him.

“Relax. It’s just going to be a week and it’s not like someone knows us there. I like to travel with light luggage.“

Caitlin shook her head. Typical. When she got her suitcase and backpack, they both sat on her couch. Nervously, she played with her fingers.

“Do you think this will work? You were there for just a few hours.“

“Don’t worry. This is going to be a real adventure!”

“Yes… I just hope the others can really do without us.“

Cisco rolled his eyes.

“Caitlin… we really deserve a vacation.“

“Vacation?”

“My mistake. Research trip. Besides, Barry, Iris and Joe can do for one week without us. Really, it’s just one week. Meanwhile, I don’t think the world is going to end and we have enough friends for scientific advice.“

“Okay, okay”, she laughed and stood up. Her heart raced with excitement. They would really do it. Visit another Earth. She couldn’t quite believe it.

“So”, she took her things and gave Cisco a look full of expectation “let’s start this research adventure!“

Well, traveling through a portal wasn't as spectacular as she had imagined. At first, she wasn’t sure if they were really on another Earth because it didn’t feel that way.

It wasn‘t what she had imagined. Rain was pouring down, and Cisco had taken them to some alley that she couldn't quite relate to.

“Where are we?“

“I couldn’t let us just show up on a main road, but we shouldn’t be far from the S.T.A.R. labs of this earth. You’ll be amazed. It looks the same as ours before the explosion!“

Caitlin wrapped her arms around her body. Good thing she had a jacket on. The rain didn’t stop, and they had to sought shelter under a nearby roof.

“So, what were the most important things about this Earth again?“, asked Caitlin.

“The particle accelerator also exploded here, but S.T.A.R. labs was rebuilt afterwards. Metas also exist here, but as far as I know there is no Flash here. Or not yet, who knows? I’m sure there are some bad metas here too. The Harrison Wells of this Earth has an agreement with the police or they’re working together on the arrest of metas. I’m not sure. I mean, that’s what we want to find out. That’s why we’re here.“

“Well, yeah. Do you know if he’s a nasty body squatter like Eobard Thawne?“

“I vibed him and he looked clean. Like the normal Harrison Wells we never got to know.“

“I don’t know… Our Harrison Wells had a normal effect on me, too”, she said with a bitter undertone “Maybe we should avoid him. The thought of seeing him gives me a stomach-ache.“

“Yes, I agree. But we have to take a closer look at S.T.A.R. labs! Because of the research and stuff, okay?“

That would be weird, but Caitlin was curious enough. So, she nodded.

“Sure.”

“Well, time to start our plan. I think the rain's slowing down“, said Cisco, and pointed at the sky with its grey clouds.

And indeed. A few minutes later it had stopped raining. It was late afternoon and the streets they went through were empty. The store was in one of those winding alleys. On the sign outside was written “Gold - Purchase and Sale“. Cisco had been looking for ways to get money on his last visit, as the money of their own Earth was, of course, not valid here.

The owner of the store recognized Cisco, and Caitlin was surprised that he seemed nervous. Probably, he was always like that with new customers. Cisco pulled a bag out of his backpack and put the gold on the counter. It was good that at least other currency resources on Earths were the same. The gold was evaluated and weighed. Then the owner disappeared and returned with bare money.

“Good. No real holiday without money!“

“Research!“, she reminded Cisco.

They shared the money and Caitlin immediately felt safer. It was a scary feeling to travel to another Earth and not have any money with you. Then, they bought a ticket and drove to one of the cheaper hotels, which also existed on their Earth. After all, they were here to do research and not to take a vacation. Strange enough, Cisco seemed to keep forgetting that.

They booked two adjoining rooms with a shared bathroom for the entire week that they intended to stay. Caitlin unpacked her clothes and put them right in the closet. Meanwhile, Cisco was standing in the door frame with his arms entangled, and a disapproving look.

“Can’t you settle in later? I thought we were going to make a first inspection today? And we really need working phones!“

“We still have time, but I'm almost done anyway”, she answered him, and stroked over the soft cloth of the dark blue garment. Maybe she'd get a chance to put it on… She had bought the dress some time ago, and had never worn it before - except in front of the mirror to check if it still fit.

“Good. First, we should buy cheap phones and then we can grab a meal somewhere. We can watch the latest news tomorrow.”

“You can wait until _tomorrow_ with the news? How surprising. I thought you wanted to go straight home, if this Earth isn’t so exciting as you thought!” Caitlin laughed.

Cisco gave her a grumpy look.

“Don’t ruin my mood. I’m going to enjoy the time here and have fun. Fun? You remember? _Having fun_. You still know how to do that?”

“How funny. _Of course,_ I can have fun. May I remind you, this is a _research trip_.”

Caitlin had turned back to her closet and squeaked when a pillow hit her head.

“Cisco!”

“Yeah, I’m _so_ sorry Dr. Snow. From now on, I'll be a very good and buttoned up scientist.”

“Oh, shut up”, she grinned.

They exchanged the numbers from their new phones. At the hotel Caitlin would immediately download a news app. Browsing the internet of a foreign Earth would be interesting.

“So… do we want to eat something healthy or unhealthy?”, asked Caitlin. She was hungry and even though not much had happened yet, she felt a bit tired.

“I suggest we eat somewhere else every day. Cause’ we have to check whether this parallel city offers the same culinary variety. I’d like something greasy for today. I think they got Big Belly Burger here.”

“Sounds good to me.”

It was so weird. The Big Belly Burger here looked just like at home. She didn't know the menu so well, but Cisco excitedly claimed that his favourite burger had a slightly different name here. Were there really just such small differences? What even influenced how different the Earths were? Coincidence?

She took a burger with chicken and a salad, which Cisco acknowledged with an eye roll. But she felt better if she also ordered something healthy. Several people stared at them, and the young woman who had served them also seemed nervous, and had been _overly_ friendly. Could you tell they didn't really belong here?

That made her think. In general, people seemed to behave oddly towards them. Or were the people here just like this? Cisco didn’t seem to notice. He was still talking about the menu.

When they finished eating, they took the trays away and a boy accidentally knocked on Cisco. Frightened, he apologized. A wrinkle formed on Cisco's forehead, and he seemed confused.

“Since when are teenagers so polite?”

Slowly she crept a hunch. Caitlin pushed him wordlessly out and into a corner on the street where they could talk undisturbed.

“Cisco, I think he was afraid of you.”

“Afraid? Of me? You can’t be serious!”

“I'm not kidding! Didn't you notice that people are acting strangely?”

“Hm, that was already the case on my first visit here. I thought it was normal. But maybe you're right, and there's more to it.”

Caitlin looked around. She felt watched and had a really bad feeling.

“Let's go back to the hotel. Something's wrong”, she urged her friend and workmate.

They took a detour to get in touch with as few people as possible. Caitlin hadn’t imagined it. She had a guess. As soon as they were in their rooms, she wanted to talk to Cisco about it.

However, this shouldn’t happen. After entering the entrance hall of the hotel, police came storming out from all corners, and directed their weapons at them.

Caitlin and Cisco were shocked and raised their hands. One of the officers gave a signal. A masked person emerged from the numerous police officers and held one arm at Cisco. A flash of lightning came out and hit him with full force, so he was thrown a few meters backwards. Caitlin screamed. The masked man disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

“Revibe, I’m arresting you and your accomplice. You are accused of numerous crimes against this city and humanity. You have the right to remain silent.”

Cisco was handcuffed. They also put some on her. Caitlin wanted to say something. To explain that this was all a huge mistake, but which one of them would believe her?

Cisco's belongings were confiscated by one of the men, and he was searched for weapons. In Caitlin's case, it was a woman who took her phone, money, and hotel keys and scanned her body.

Caitlin pressed her lips together. She was angry. And scared. Besides, she was about to cry. The tears were already burning behind her eyes.

They took them to a high-security transporter. The chief police officer seemed to be sure that they couldn’t escape because they were not given any guards with them.

When they were tied up, sitting in the dark and taken somewhere, they spoke to each other for the first time since their arrest.

“You forgot to mention that your doppelganger is apparently a wanted criminal!”

“I didn't know that. I wanted to be surprised if I met him…”

“Maybe we should have watched the news right away. Then we would have been warned. Now we have to flee and then go straight home. That was a great research trip”, she said bitterly.

“Caitlin…”

“What?”

Was she too hard on him? Maybe, but she had trusted him to know the most important things of this Earth and, obviously, he hadn't. Of course, she could have thought of it… but who would have guessed that you were a bad guy on another earth if you yourself fought crime every day? She wasn’t the one with powers. She was pissed. Less on Cisco and more on the whole situation. She had been looking forward to this week. Now everything was ruined.

Fear was under her rage. Where did they took them? What would happen to them? They had to get back to their Earth as soon as possible.

“We can’t go home”, he said simply.

“No. We have to go home. This trip is over!”

“No, you don’t understand. We _can’t_.”

“What do you mean? Did this guy hurt you?”

Caitlin inspected him with her professional look. He behaved in accordance to the situation. He was shocked. His face was pale, and there was a sweat film on his forehead. From the outside, nothing indicated that he had suffered a serious injury. But you never knew. Suddenly the anger had disappeared and she was worried. She would have liked to examine him more closely, but her hands were cuffed and she was tied up at the other end of the transporter.

“He didn’t hurt me…”, Cisco explained with a slightly shaking voice “He took my powers.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Caitlin Snow**

Caitlin didn’t know where they were. When the transporter stopped, a man climbed up to them and pulled black bags over their heads. Then they were taken out. She could only hear voices in a subdued manner. Her steps echoed on the ground and they ran for a long time until she was pressed onto a chair. The same man removed the black bag again. Bright light shone in her eyes. She had to blink. Slowly her eyes got used to the light again. There was a table in front of her. Behind it was a second chair. A young woman took her blood. Almost Caitlin would’ve said she could do it herself. The man and the young woman left her and slammed the heavy door shut.

It was cold in this room. She had goose bumps. Caitlin looked around. Bare grey walls. Except for the table and the two chairs, there was nothing. She was still tied up. Her heart throbbed like crazy. Her gaze rested on the door. Any minute, someone would come. And then?

For a long time, no one came, which gave her enough time to go through some possible scenarios. What would Cisco tell them? Would they torture him? She didn’t want to picture it, but her brain didn’t listen to her. Her mind showed her a suffering Cisco and she fervently hoped that it was just her imagination. But they weren't by the police. Probably they were in a secret building intended for dangerous criminals or, more precisely, metas. What were the rules here? Were there any rules at all? One thing was clear to her: they let her wait so long so she would be really nervous. That worked perfectly.

As soon as the door opened, she flinched. The woman was tall, had short blonde hair and black glasses. She wore a suit that sat so well that it was probably custom-made. Her face was feminine, but her facial features were still hard. Caitlin automatically sat upright. The woman sat in front of her. She held a folder in her hand. Her brown eyes were flashing dangerously. She seemed like a predatory cat to her – and she was the prey.

“Miss Caitlin Snow, correct?”

“Yes.”

The blonde gave her a look.

»Are you sure?«

The woman bent forward and Caitlin pushed her back further back into her chair. She nodded.

“Then why is your ID a fake? Why isn't there a Caitlin Snow in our database that would fit you?”

Caitlin swallowed the clove down her throat. Shouldn’t she also have a doppelganger in this city? Then she thought of Cisco. Maybe it was better if she didn’t have a doppelganger.

“This is all a misunderstanding. You can't find me in your database because I don't exist on this Earth, but-“

“An interesting choice of words”, the woman interrupted her “do you want to explain to me that you simply don’t exist? How refreshing. I haven't heard _that_ before.”

“I-“

“No. Listen. You tell me immediately who you are and what you have to do with Revibe! I don't have the time or the nerve to play games.”

“I told you already who I am. I’m Caitlin Snow, but I’m not from this Earth.”

“Are you listening to yourself? That's absolutely impossible. Do you enjoy telling your little story? Are you trying to confuse us? I'm afraid that doesn't work. Now, who are you?”

“I'm afraid I can't give you any other answer.”

“Well, then let’s move on to the second question. What have you to do with Revibe? Are you an accomplice?”

“No. Cisco isn’t a criminal and he certainly isn’t Revibe.”

Caitlin saw a vein stepping out on the woman’s forehead. It was not wise to provoke her questioner unnecessarily, but what should Caitlin do? She couldn’t make up a lie. No, she stayed with the truth. She hoped Cisco did the same. They had been so shocked that they had not agreed on a story or if they would simply tell them the truth.

“So, you don’t have criminal things to do with him? But you call him by his civic name. No one does that. Not even him. What kind of relationship do you have with each other?”

“We’re friends”, she answered.

It went on for a while. She was interviewed about robberies, drug trafficking and abduction. Then back to her identity. Sometimes the woman was nice, sometimes she was very hard and screamed at her. When she left, a man came. He wore a similar suit and had combed back hair. He asked the same questions. The whole thing was exhausting. To have to say the same thing over and over again. Then the man left and she sat alone in the room again.

The blonde woman from earlier came back. She had a pinched face and didn't seem happy. There was also the man who had brought her into the room. In his hand he held the black sack.

“We have no capacity to hold unimportant suspects. We've got nothing on you. You're not showing up anywhere. Like you really don't exist. But be warned. We'll keep an eye on you and find out who you really are. No one can just show up out of nowhere”, explained the woman and Caitlin had the feeling that she would have liked to beat her up until Caitlin had said something understandable to her. But luckily, they didn't seem to be so violent.

She was led blindly through the corridors. In the transporter, the bag was taken from her head again. Caitlin was alone when the vehicle started to move. No Cisco. But she didn't expect him. She was cold again. They didn't believe the truth. They not even considered it might be true. No, she was a nameless and non-existential person. And Cisco was one of the most wanted villains. Caitlin could only hope that the real Revibe would reveal himself. How else could Cisco's innocence and their story be proven? Were there differences in the DNA of doppelgangers? It would be a possibility, but Caitlin couldn't figure that out. She couldn't get hold of Cisco and Vibe. And her own doppelganger didn't seem to exist. Worst of all, Cisco didn’t have his powers. So, he couldn’t prove that he was capable of opening portals. Or would this masked man or woman give him his powers back? Unlikely.

Oh, they were so fucked.

They let her out somewhere. She was given back her belongings. They mentioned that she would have to find a new place to stay, as the hotel doesn’t want to have anything to do with Revibe's accomplice.

Oh, _she_ was so fucked.

**Harrison Wells**

This week would be a nightmare. Between business meetings and events to which he had been invited, the big open-door day took place. That meant people would just flow through S.T.A.R. labs and crowd him with questions. Usually he liked to answer questions and help others in scientific matters, but the week had already started miserable. His personal assistant quit and now he had to find someone else. Which wasn’t easy since many of the female applicants had ambiguous intentions. He was in a foul mood and it was only Monday evening.

A thousand things he had left to do, flew in his head. Still, he called it a day earlier today and didn't work through half the night since he had promised Jesse to look over her essay. Yet, of course, he drove straight into a traffic jam. Impatiently he was drumming with his fingers on the steering wheel. Today really wasn't his day.

He had just called his daughter to let her know that he would be home later, as he was in traffic jam, when they said it on the news. Revibe had been caught. At first, it confused him. He sometimes thought they'd never get him. Shortly thereafter, his phone rang. He turned on the intercom of his car.

“Dr. Wells. I assume you’ve heard it. We need to talk. How fast can you be at our meeting place?”, asked the voice of Mrs. Davis.

Harrison turned in the next street and fled from the stagnant traffic.

“30 minutes”, he said.

They finally had Revibe. He hadn’t expected that they would need him immediately. The masked avenger, or whatever he should be called, took a good deal of his work from him. Although, it was _not_ always the best solution to simply take away their powers. So, what had happened?

The black car with the tinted windows was already in the alley. He parked his car, got out, crossed the road and got in their car.

“Things have evolved differently than we expected”, she said.

“What do you mean?”

“Revibe doesn’t claim to be Revibe.”

He laughed forced.

“And that’s why you’re interrupting my night? Because a criminal simply claims not to be a criminal?”

“That’s not a joke. We did a lie detector test on him. He seems to be telling the truth.”

“There are people who can manipulate such tests. Especially with metas you never know”, he explained.

“Revibe doesn’t have any powers anymore. Our masked friend showed up during our mission and took care of it.”

“Okay?” He crossed his arms “And if he's not Revibe, who is he?”

“Now, that’s really weird. He claims to be Cisco Ramon, but from another Earth. He and a certain Caitlin Snow are said to have come here through a portal he created himself.”

“Another Earth?”, he repeated disbelieving. At first it sounded like a completely crazy story, but then again… That people suddenly had powers, which was his fault, would have sounded also stupid a few years ago. What if that person really wasn't Revibe? He shook off the thought. Revibe was smart. He probably set it all up to confuse them, and came up with such a story so they would ask Harrison for advice. Revibe had always been after him. He didn't want to kill him, because then he would have been dead for a long time now. No, he seemed to want to annoy him. In a brutal and morbid way… what he had done to Jesse's mother…

“Have you compared his DNA?”, asked Harrison. There were thoughts and memories that he preferred to repress.

“We took blood from him. From both. But we have nothing of ‘our’ Revibe, for which he was always too cautious. His old identity was deleted from our database. He has a big influence in this city. It doesn’t make any sense that he let himself be caught so easily. Oddly enough, we’ve never known anything about an accomplice named Caitlin Snow.”

“Caitlin Snow? What about her?”

“She says the same thing and denies having anything to do with the crimes of Revibe. We don't have anything on her, so we had to let her go. We have to keep an eye on her. Maybe we didn't find anyone suitable in our database, but I did some research. There was a Caitlin Snow.”

“You mean, she faked her death? That’s not unusual.”

“Yes. Well, in that case, she would have faked her death at the age of eight. She died in a car accident as child.”

“Are you sure the child died back then?”

“I don’t know. Nevertheless, I will have everything checked. But how come she doesn't show up anywhere? And if she's been hiding all these years, why is she getting caught with Revibe?”

That didn’t make any sense.

“Either it’s Revibe’s plan or their telling the truth.”

“I was hoping you’d see it that way. How do we find out if they really come from another Earth? Can we prove they don’t? Of course, we can lock up Revibe, but I’d rather have clarified everything.”

“It’s unfortunate that Revibe, or Cisco Ramon, no longer has his powers. Then he could’ve just opened a portal for us and it would’ve been done.” Or, more likely, he would have laughed in their faces that they had believed his story.

“You know it’s better if he doesn’t have his powers. This makes our city safer.”

“I have a bad feeling. It _has_ to be a plan from him. You know how many times he's played with us. Getting him was too easy. And now that this Caitlin Snow suddenly shows up. You shouldn't have let her go.”

“I know, but we can't just lock everyone up without proof. Besides, she hasn’t powers and doesn’t seem to pose a direct danger. We'll find out what she has to do with Revibe. We won't be fooled this time. That's why I called. I was hoping you could help us unravel his plan.”

“I'll try my best, but I can't guarantee anything. I'm under a lot of stress myself, and as long as he's safely locked up…”

“Maybe it doesn't seem to be urgent, but I think we both want to close up with Revibe. And the city, too.”

Jesse was sitting in the kitchen eating cold pizza when he finally got home.

“I’m sorry it’s so late. The traffic was terrible today. So, where’s your essay?” He grabbed a glass of cold water and sat down next to her at the small table. Only then he realized her red eyes from crying. She hadn’t spoken a word since he came home, which was unusual for his daughter. Normally, she talked the face off him. This was probably because they didn’t see each other much. He worked a lot and she took more courses than she needed. He often blamed himself for spending so little time with her.

“They arrested Revibe”, she whispered.

Harrison briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Today really wasn't his day. He was afraid he'd have to talk to her about it, but he didn't know how.

“Jesse”, he began.

She shook her head.

“It's all right, dad. We don't have to talk about it. Not today. I'm going to bed. Good night.”

He should go after her and they should _talk_ about it. But he just let her go. As far as feelings were concerned, he was a _disaster_.

Revibe had killed his ex-wife a year ago. More people had died in the attack, but he had always felt that she had been the target. Jesse blamed Harrison for her mother's death. He knew that. After all, he was responsible for quite a few deaths. He was it who built the particle accelerator. He had been responsible for the fact that no catastrophe happened… and he had failed. People had died. Metas were born. Crime increased.

S.T.A.R. labs had been rebuilt, but the city's inhabitants were still sceptical. That was why such open days were important. They had to regain trust. Harrison tried as hard as he could to vouch for his mistakes. He helped a secret organization capture criminal metas. In the lab itself, they developed weapons against different powers. Limitation of damage. They also helped the people who had powers and hadn’t become criminals. They were researching in that direction. Despite the many negative things that the explosion had brought, it was nevertheless a scientific advance in the history of mankind.

He drove through his dark hair with one hand. Then he took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. Once again, it was a lot at once. The lab, the day of the open door, his missing personal assistant, Revibe and of course his daughter Jesse.

He was in desperate need of sleep. Tomorrow would be a busy day. Maybe he should eat something, but he didn't have an appetite. He turned off the lights on the ground floor, locked the front door and went upstairs. There was no light in Jesse's room. Nevertheless, he stopped in front of her door and listened. When he didn't hear anything, he went into his bedroom. Next to it was his own bathroom and he wanted to jump under the shower for a moment.

Under the hot water he was lost in his thoughts again. Jesse had been through a lot. She had been almost a child when he broke up with his ex-wife. The separation from his ex-wife had been difficult in those days. His daughter had alternately lived with her mother and with him. She often complained that it didn't matter with whom she lived, as she rarely saw both her parents. His ex-wife had worked as much as he had. The curiosity and the urge to learn and explore lay in the family. No wonder Jesse took the same path.

Even though he was tired, he was still awake in bed for a while. His life wasn't the way he wanted it to be. Too much work, too many villains - like Revibe - and his relationship with Jesse wasn't the best either. Although his daughter was actually the most important thing in his life. After that came his work. Only, in the last few weeks he had been thinking over and over again that he felt lonely. He did and did, and felt like a robot. His private life didn’t exist and he noticed how the stress took a lot out of him.

Harrison had been alone for so long he didn't even know anymore what it felt like to have someone. To not be alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first encounter between Caitlin and Harrison. What could go wrong? ;-)

**Caitlin Snow**

The room was small and she shared the bathroom with the other rooms in the hallway. Luckily, she had found a new place to stay. Now it was the middle of the night. Her suitcase was in the corner. She had briefly looked inside and found that her clothes had been stuffed into them. At least she still had her things. It could have been worse, right?

She was lying on the bed, staring at the bare wall. She couldn't think of any sleep and wondered how Cisco was doing. Then she thought of their friends at home. They had no idea that something had gone wrong, but they'd soon notice if Cisco and she didn't come back after the scheduled week. She had to swallow. When would they come back? Would they _ever_ come back to their Earth? No. She shouldn’t think about it. She had to focus on freeing Cisco and proving that he wasn’t Revibe.

Unfortunately, she had no idea how to do that. On top of that, the money would run out at some point. She had to find a job. A poorly paid temporary job, because she had no papers. Hell, she didn't exist on this Earth. In theory, she had no education. It was a mess.

At some point she fell asleep, only to wake up a short time later. She now knew what she was going to do tomorrow. Her stomach turned around at the thought of it, but it was her best option. Or rather, _he_ was her best option.

Harrison Wells.

Cisco had said he was working with the police. Maybe he had contact with the people who held Cisco captive. It would make sense, since he was also responsible for the explosion on this Earth and thus for the metas.

Yes, she would do it. She’d go to S.T.A.R. labs and talk to him. If anyone believed in the existence of other Earths and could possibly prove it, it was Harrison Wells.

The next morning, she put on one of the blouses. The fabric had a few creases. Her accommodation had breakfast included in the price. It was only meagre and the coffee tasted horrible, but she had to save money. Did they have a Jitters on this Earth?

If she could get some new money, she’d treat herself with a _good_ coffee. Coffee calmed her nerves. She could really use that right now as her nerves were jumpy. She had searched the internet for S.T.A.R. labs and kept a mental note on the opening hours.

She was nervous. Was she really ready to see a living S.T.A.R. labs? A variant that resembled her old life? Maybe not. Either way, she had to go there sooner or later. Given her current situation, sooner was better. Even if she didn't know what to expect. Caitlin was a little afraid to meet this Harrison Wells.

What if he was some kind of Eobard Thawne? Or was the normal Wells evil? Maybe he wouldn't help her. Well, then what? She bit her lower lip and stared at the black brew they unjustly called coffee.

Next to her a couple chatted and she picked up the name Revibe several times. Her news app had also been full of articles about the capture. They had made it public. There was an official report from the police, which said that a special unit has finally caught Revibe. Thus, they were clearly certain that Cisco was his doppelganger. Revibe. The super bad and dangerous villain of this Earths Central City.

For the first few minutes she stood petrified in front of the building. No sign of an explosion. It looked exactly like she remembered from the good days. Nostalgic, she thought back to that time. Catching evil metas was an honourable task, but she was still a scientist. She had been so ambitious. Like everyone else, she had thought that the world would be open to them after the particle accelerator. Everything had gone wrong on their Earth. The lab was no longer set up and it was Eobard Thawne's fault. Now she was standing in front of this S.T.A.R. labs, which looked exactly like the old and glamorous one on her Earth. She almost cried.

After looking at the building from outside for long enough, she took all her courage and walked towards the entrance. There she hesitated for a short moment before going in. Her breath stopped. It was impressive. Her S.T.A.R. labs had never looked like that. This could have been on their Earth… If only their real Harrison Wells had lived. The entrance hall was modern and open. Some objects were exhibited in glass cabinets. There were people and she saw employees who apparently were only responsible for the visitors. She even saw an entire school class. On a large sign, an open day was announced, which took place in two days. There would be scientists and inventors talking, including, of course, the founder and head of S. T. A. R. labs: Harrison Wells.

When she read his name, her heart automatically knocked faster. She continued reading to distract herself. They were looking for temporary employees.

Caitlin found herself a little ridiculous, as she stood in the entrance hall, looking at everything fascinated and dodging herself from her plan. She should finally stop playing for time!

She asked an employee how to get to Harrison Wells' office. The girl just nodded as if she had expected the question, and described the path. It seemed to be the same room that had been the boss’s office on her old lab. In front of Wells’ office stood a whole crowd of women and Caitlin remained confused at the end of the queue.

The women wore skirts or trousers with fine blouses. Suddenly she was ashamed of her unironed blouse, but what was she supposed to do? She scrutinized them. The faces were made up and they had neatly done hair. They didn't look like they were here for scientific questions. Maybe a job interview? Caitlin saw portfolios that probably contained resumes. Well, it would probably take a little longer than expected for her to get to talk to Dr. Wells.

A woman came out of the office and the queue moved forward. Caitlin stepped nervously from one foot to the other. How should she address her problem? What if he threw her out right away because she wasn't there for that audition? Should she have called first and made an appointment? Would she have got an appointment at all?

Caitlin blew a loose strand of hair off her face, which had come loose from the ponytail she had quickly made this morning. She wasn't wearing make-up either. She had no head for that. Compared to the other women, she had to look terrible. At least she took a shower this morning.

She didn’t think she’d be relieved if it was finally her turn, but the long wait had made her impatient. The small room in front of the office itself was a mixture of light and dark. The floor and the walls were white. The furniture was black. There was a desk on the left and one on the right. Caitlin had prepared herself to face him. However, there was no trace of Harrison Wells. Instead, a blond man sat at the right desk and waved at her.

“For the record, you're probably wondering why I'm having this job interview and not Dr. Wells, but he's unfortunately busy with other things. We're looking for someone long-term. Certificates and applications are secondary because I have to work with you most of the time,” the man slapped down. Then he looked at her. He tilted his head. Yes, compared to her predecessors, she had to be a real change.

Oh, shit. That way, she couldn’t talk to Harrison Wells. She had to come up with something else.

“So… Your name?”

“Caitlin Snow, but that’s a misunderstanding. I’m not here for the job. I’m here because I need to talk to Dr. Wells.”

“Of course, you have to.”

“No, no. It’s not what you think. I have an important question!”

“If the question is so important, you can ask me. I will pass it on.”

Caitlin had to pull herself together to not cry out frustrated. She couldn’t go any further. She couldn’t tell the man what she had to discuss with his boss. Then she remembered the sign in the entrance hall.

“I've seen that you need temporary employees for the open day. That's what I wanted to apply for”, she lied.

“I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have had to talk to Dr. Wells for _that_. All you had to do was ask at the front desk downstairs”, the man explained irritated “I will call downstairs. You have to fill in a paper.”

Actually, it hadn't gone as she had imagined. But it still had one good thing: if she was here tomorrow and worked, she would be able to take a first look at Harrison Wells. Maybe she was more fortunate, too, and she'd be able to talk to him. If that didn't work, she'd try an appointment. Which would probably take a long time and she ran out of time. It's very good she'd make some money with her little job. She could use it well.

Back in her room, she took the blue dress out of the suitcase. The fabric wasn’t delicate to wrinkles. Caitlin was glad she took it with her. She had been told that she should appear in evening clothes. Only the shoes should be comfortable, so she didn’t have any problems with running.

Caitlin spent the rest of the day doing research. About Revibe, S.T.A.R. labs and Harrison Wells. In the evening she went to get something to eat. While sitting cross-legged on her bed pushing a piece of chocolate into her mouth, she thought of Cisco. She wondered what happened to him. The uncertainty was terrible. She also didn't learn much from the media. It seemed as if the city had closed with Revibe and turned to other things. Although, it was just a little more than a day ago.

**Harrison Wells**

Harrison sat in his office and went through the speech he had written for the open-door day. In the hallway, his assistant interviewed the women for the free position. He hoped Mr. Wheeler would find a suitable candidate. Harrison had always had two assistants. A man and a woman. Hopefully, his new female assistant would be just as good with gifts. He himself was a hopeless case in that matter.

The final preparations were made downstairs in the entrance hall and in the large hall. Maybe it was called open door _day_ , but it was an _evening_ with several small events. Of course, it was not the first time they had done such an event. However, this time they were much more depended on it. Nothing was allowed to go wrong. Important and wealthy citizens of the city had announced themselves. He would try to collect some donations for the new projects.

His phone vibrated. An unknown number had sent him a picture. He opened the message. The picture showed a woman sitting in an interrogation room. Caitlin Snow. Harrison memorized her face and put his phone away. He had suppressed the problem with Revibe and that Caitlin Snow. He had other worries.

Today he went home early and even had lunch with Jesse. Her mood was bad, but she wished him all the best for the evening. She used to come along to such events.

He took a hot shower, brushed his teeth thoroughly and put on a black suit. Underneath, he was wearing a white shirt. Then he even tied a black tie around his neck. Today, he would show himself at his best.

He was back an hour before the first guests would arrive. The organising team had made a good job. The event would take place in the main hall. Lights had been hung on the walls. There were seats and standing tables. In the corner to the left of the entrance door a provisional counter had been built, behind which drinks were poured out. There was a buffet on the other side of the hall. His assistant brought him up to date while Harrison went straight to the stage where his scientific colleagues had gathered.

**Caitlin Snow**

The man who was in charge of the service had instructed Caitlin and other women and men. He had constantly stressed that they shouldn’t make mistakes. Caitlin had been divided for champagne. Ironically, in the front rows where the affluent visitors would sit. Where she'd be close to the stage… It was not the first time she attended an important scientific event, but it _was_ certainly the first time she worked in the service area and didn’t give a speech herself _or_ was here for scientific reasons _or_ at an invitation.

What made the whole thing difficult was that she constantly had to think about her last big event in this room. The day of the particle accelerator explosion. It hadn’t been on this Earth, but it was _very_ similar here. If not identical. Besides, the explosion had happened here too. You didn't see it in the room. It was nicely decorated. Caitlin hadn’t missed that the day was important. She had helped hang lights and distributed decoration on the tables.

An hour before the start they were ready with the preparations and she went to change. The blue dress clung perfectly to her body. She didn't look bad. Caitlin put on dark red lipstick. When she went back to the counter, she heard Lucy and Alma, two young women, giggling. Apparently, Caitlin missed Dr. Wells.

The room quickly filled with people and it became very crowded. She was sent with the first tray of champagne and started in the front row. When the lights got on on the stage, she had just supplied everyone and rushed back to the counter.

Her breath stopped as soon as Dr. Harrison Wells entered the stage.

He looked just like _him_.

Like Eobard Thawne.

Or rather, like the body of the Harrison Wells from their Earth.

Wavy dark hair, an elegant suit and a charming smile. Handsome.

Caitlin felt sick.

Luckily, she couldn’t see his eyes from here. Too well she remembered the emotional cold she had seen in the blue eyes of the Reverse Flash the last time she had stood before him.

There were reasons why Cisco and she didn’t actually want to meet the Harrison Wells from this Earth. But as fate would have it… Now she had no choice if she wanted to go home. With Cisco.

Different people gave speeches. Here and there she recognized a doppelganger. Creepy. She was always in the front rows with champagne. When Dr. Wells was talking, she had a tingling in her neck every time she turned her back on him. Like he would jump on her at the first opportunity and strangle her to death. Bullshit. He didn’t even look at her. The man didn’t know who she was.

Caitlin didn't want to watch him, but she couldn't help herself. He magically attracted her gaze. She didn't know what to think of him. Dr. Wells spoke enthusiastically and it was very obvious that he loved what he did. She recognized similarities, but, of course, Eobard Thawne had never been so openly enthusiastic about their work. Several times Caitlin caught herself staring at him. His dedication fascinated her. She admired how he spoke, clearly with carefully chosen words, with his own fascination and conviction placed on every single word. You could feel in the room how convincing Harrison Wells was. People were captivated by his words and when he finished his speech, they applauded him loudly.

Could it have been like this on their Earth? Would she then also be up there and try to win back people and sponsors?

Caitlin’s feet were hurting from running. The event was over and she collected empty glasses. An elderly woman passed by and pressed two half-full glasses on her tray with such a force that Caitlin lost her balance and stumbled. She expected to land on the ground and distribute champagne remnants everywhere. Instead, she stumbled into a person. Two arms held her so she wouldn’t fall into splinter of glass. She breathed in horror as she stared at the man's chest. She had ruined his suit. He was wet and surely sticky from the alcohol. She was way too close to the man, and her cheeks were getting very hot.

“I’m so sorry!”, she apologized, deeply ashamed.

“It wasn't your fault”, he reassured her.

His voice.

His _voice_!

Caitlin froze.

Her chest became tight and panic made itself known. She swallowed and raised her head, slowly, and stared directly into his blue eyes.

His expression changed when he saw her face. In a split second, his gaze became hard. Adrenaline chased through her body and Caitlin tore away from him. She stumbled two steps back. He looked at her as if she were his _enemy_. He looked at her like _Eobard Thawne_ had done.

Get out. She had to get out of here. She had to get away from _him_. Fuck her plan. She’d find another way. She had to. Caitlin turned around and run away. It didn’t matter now, no, she _had_ to run away. She felt the panic all over her body and her head couldn’t even grasp that he wasn’t Thawne.

To her horror, she didn’t get far.

He came after her and held her tight. His fingers dug into her naked arm.

She thought about screaming, but it wouldn’t do her any good and would be pretty stupid. No one would understand her. They would think she was crazy.

Maybe she was.

Caitlin avoided his direct gaze. She was scared. Nevertheless, she let herself be dragged out by him. He _wasn’t_ Eobard Thawne. She repeated this several times in her head.

His hand was on her bare shoulder, her skin tingled under his touch, he led her over the hallway and they got into the elevator. The doors closed. Her heart was knocking faster, and she feared to suffer a heart attack. He turned to her. Harrison Wells looked angry. Really angry. Caitlin pressed her back against the wall. She was as far away from him as possible and yet it wasn’t enough. Nothing had prepared her for such a situation. Her body and mind had betrayed her with their frightened reaction.

“What are you doing here?”, he asked with an icy voice. There wasn’t anything charming about him anymore, the coldness of his words cut through the air between them and let a shiver chase over her back. It was a tone which reminded her too much of _him_. _Thawne_. Their personality blurred in front of her eyes.

“What do you mean? I was working here!” Her voice trembled.

Harrison Wells raised an eyebrow. Her reaction seemed to confuse him.

“Don’t play games with me”, he said ” _Caitlin Snow_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it didn’t go as planned. Poor Caitlin


	4. Chapter 4

**Harrison Wells**

Impossible. It was _outrageous_ what this woman has dared to do. Now he was glad that they had sent him the picture of Revibe's girlfriend. Otherwise, he might not have caught her snooping around. The public didn't know about her. Just his contacts and him. What a ,coincidence` that she had stumbled right in front of his feet. Caitlin Snow was trying to suck up to him. It was clear. How unlucky that he recognized her. He didn't expect her anxious reaction, but maybe she wasn't quite as hardened as Revibe.

The evening had gone well. Really well. At the end, he had talked to a handful of people and then had been on his way to his office, to pick up his things to go home, when she had appeared in front of him. He wanted to sit on his couch at home and eat a burger from Big Belly Burger. That would have been the perfect end to this stressful day. But no. Revibe had other plans.

Now, he was standing in the elevator, with his arms crossed, waiting for her to answer. He really didn't feel like playing games. Harrison wanted to finally finish with Revibe. The elevator opened its doors. Miss Snow stormed out and headed straight for his office. He followed her. She knew where his office was. How long had she been scouting this place?

In the door frame, he almost collided with her, as she had suddenly stopped. Harrison looked over her head. Mr. Wheeler was at his place of work, packing his bag.

"Miss… Snow? What are you doing here again?", asked his assistant confused.

Harrison pushed Miss Snow into the room. When he touched her, she flinched. Really, what kind of criminal was she that she seemed afraid of him? Ridiculous.

“Oh, Dr. Wells!”

“You know this woman?”

“Um… yeah, she was here because she wanted to talk to you. _But_ then she just wanted a job after all. Not the personal assistant's! Why are you asking? Did she do something? I'd be happy to take her outside.”

“No. It's all right. I'll talk to Miss Snow. You can go home”, he said.

Before he was able to move Miss Snow to his office, she went voluntarily. How she avoided his touch almost offended his feelings. He was used to people having respect for him, especially when he was in a bad mood, but fear? He was not comfortable with _fear_.

Well, of course, she was afraid of him. He had pretty quickly uncovered her. Or rather, he had simply known who she was, and she hadn’t been able to settle down here. Still, he felt weird about it.

She sat down on the visitor's chair. Harrison closed the door, sat down behind his desk, took off his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth. After that, he put them back on and looked at the woman very closely.

She wore her brown hair in a high ponytail and a tight-fitting but very elegant dress, which suited her really well and he was sure that some glances had stuck to her that evening. For a simple waitress, the dress was too chic. Harrison had already noticed the red-mottled lips, which stood in contrast to her light skin and were tightly pressed together when she stared at him wordlessly. With her green eyes that almost made him forget who she was and what she wanted here.

He cleared his throat.

“So, you've been here before because you wanted to talk to me? Or rather, because the job as an assistant would have been too much to start with? You don't have to deny it. I know who you are. You're Revibe's girlfriend. So, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here because I need your help”, she said.

“My help?” He laughed. She had to be kidding “I beg your pardon?”

“This is all a huge misunderstanding. Cisco's not Revibe. He's my friend and colleague. Not boyfriend. I know it's gonna sound weird, but-“

Harrison interrupted her. He knew exactly what would come next.

“But you're from another Earth, and you’re stranded now because your friend Cisco lost his powers?”

She widened her eyes. Harrison felt almost sorry for her as she sat so hopelessly and anxiously in the chair opposite him. Almost.

“Yeah, I know about your little story. Maybe you thought you were particularly smart about it. Well, it was stupid. _And you_ can't make _me_ look stupid!”

“It’s not a story. Look, I'm not here to spy on you. I don't know your villain Revibe. I'm just trying to prove that Cisco isn't him. And to go home. That's all I want. I thought you were my best option. Harrison Wells seems to be one of the smartest on all Earths… Maybe I was wrong, because you just seem to believe your friends from the government, or whatever they are, and you don't even consider that I could be telling the truth!”

She had jumped up and put her hands down on his desk. Miss Snow looked desperate.

“How long did you have to hide just to play this little game with Revibe? Is he that convincing?”, he asked bitterly. The anger in him was bursting. How stupid did they think he was? She was deliberately making herself look harmless and sad. To win his trust. Revibe would win the game. Again.

And then she had this _dress_ on... Did she intend to _seduce_ him today?

“All right. I got it. I'll go and you’ll never have to see me again. But think of me when the real Revibe comes back and you realize I didn't tell lies. You miss a unique opportunity to make an incredible discovery!”

Harrison also stood up and laid his hands on the desk, parallel to hers. Her breath got faster as he got closer to her, which he had intentionally, because he wanted to take advantage of her reaction. He put on his most threatening face and, hopefully, she would understand that he meant it serious.

“Good”, he said “Get lost.”

He saw hopelessness and disappointment in her eyes. A very good actress, you had to give her that.

Miss Snow stormed out of his office. He stared at the door for a while before he sat down, got his phone and sent an encrypted message. Someone had to keep an eye on this woman. Wasn't his job. He was just glad he got rid of her. If she kept her word and realized that her plan wouldn't work, he'd never see her again.

And now he really wanted a burger.

**Caitlin Snow**

Idiot.

He didn't even listen to her, and had fun pissing her off. His condescending manner had inflicted more on her than she had thought. It was a shitty feeling when you were wrongly seen as a criminal or, in her case, as an accomplice or friend of a criminal.

The people who had Cisco clearly worked with Wells. Otherwise, he couldn't have known who she was. She hadn't had a chance to achieve anything with him. He had only deaf ears for her. His gaze had been angry and annoyed. He didn't know her, but she knew he hated her. Harrison Wells, perhaps her only ticket home, hated and wouldn't help her.

All the way back to her little room, she pulled herself together, but when she was finally there, she threw herself all dressed up on the bed and cried. She didn’t care that her make-up smeared and she had to sleep in the same bedding for a long time.

What was she supposed to do? Her hope was gone. Soon the week would be over and life on their Earth would go on without Cisco and her. All of this was such a horrible chaos. Why did it go so wrong? She wished they hadn’t come here. Cursed be their scientific curiosity!

She was thinking about Cisco again. If he could see her now… he was probably waiting for her to somehow get him out. Caitlin had to get him out. Then they'd look for a way to get home. There were other clever people on this Earth. Someone would believe them and help them. She was sure. Caitlin howled to sleep that night.

The next morning, she sat in Jitters, yes, they had one here too, and drank a good coffee. The black brew managed to calm her down a bit. She had to sort out her thoughts and come up with a new plan. Harrison Wells was, obviously, no option. It shook her inwardly when she thought back to the evening. How she had behaved… How _he_ had made her behave.

She had gone crazy and hadn’t her senses under control, and she was ashamed of her cowardly behaviour, but she hadn’t been able to prevent him from reminding her in his angry manner of Barry’s mother’s murderer, thereby scaring her to death. Obviously, he wasn’t a very friendly human - or was this only valid for ,criminals` like her? Nevertheless, he could at least have met her with some kind of respect. He had dragged her through the building to his office! - but she remembered how he had delivered his speech and how she had seen a very different man in him. A man who lived for his work and believed in something with his body and soul, something Caitlin found very attractive to some extent. Not him, of course, but in general.

She had to come up with a new plan. The next brilliant scientist she could think of was her mother, or rather her mother's doppelganger. Caitlin had researched this Earth's Carla Tannhauser on the Internet and also found out why her own doppelganger didn’t exist. Caitlin knew that she had had a car accident as a child. On this Earth, Caitlin Snow had died as a little girl, just like her father. It saddened her that her father no longer lived on this Earth, too… With him she had got along much better than her mother and she ever could have.

She'd pay Tannhauser Industries a visit. There she would try to convince her mother's doppelganger. It was worth a try. Also, today she wanted to find a job, because she had to finance her life somehow. Who knew how long she would be stuck here… Unfortunately, there was no job available at Jitters at the moment, she had asked. In Central City Big Belly Burger was represented with many branches, maybe she would have more luck there. As long as she wasn't asked too many questions or she expected to sign a big contract.

After her breakfast, with a second _good_ coffee, which she had clearly earned after yesterday, she made her way to Tannhauser Industries. There, however, she had to find out that dr. Tannhauser was on a business trip, so Caitlin had to cancel this option for the next days. Should she try her luck with someone else? She didn't know if anyone on this Earth could help with bringing Cisco and her back home, but she needed at least one person to start with who believed her and not because he or she was crazy.

Then she visited the Big Belly Burger fast food restaurants. In the fourth one, she was employed and would be incorporated the very next day. That was a start. Caitlin calculated how much money she would earn. It would be nice if she could move into a hotel where she had her own bathroom, and where the coffee was drinkable. She had to keep her motivation up. Somehow, she'd make it.

Yesterday had been a disaster and the fact that dr. Tannhauser wasn’t in town at the moment, was bad luck. Besides, she still had to prove to the world that Cisco wasn't Revibe. And how did she do that? By finding or luring out the real Revibe. It was really strange that no one had heard from this criminal since Cisco's arrest. Caitlin had searched databases. The name Revibe had constantly surfaced a short time ago. In the context of robbery and trafficking of illegal substances.

Caitlin spent the next few days with her new job, which was a whole new experience for her as she had never worked in a fast food restaurant before. She found a new hotel near her new workplace. The room there was nicer, cleaner, had a private bathroom and the coffee maker in the communal kitchen made acceptable coffee. That was clearly an improvement. When she wasn't working, she was trying to find out more about this Earth. Especially the political aspects concerning the metas and the general state of technology and medicine. This Earth was more modern and advanced in some things, but the difference wasn’t big. She wondered how the other Earths were.

Two weeks after Cisco and her had come to this Earth, Caitlin heard from the underground for the first time and she got a new idea. The ,underground’ was the name for a community, which were followers of Revibe. They demanded on the Internet and in the worse parts of the city, with graffiti, for the release of their leader. From her earned money, Caitlin bought tight black jeans and some tops with a much too deep neckline for her taste, which she would normally never wear. She changed her look so she wouldn’t stand out in the underground. Caitlin spent nights with walking through dark streets and visiting pubs. She was often harassed by dubious guys and sometimes she would get involved with them - talking and smiling - to find out more about Revibe and his followers. When she returned to her small room in the middle of the night, she first needed a hot shower to wash the dirt from the streets off her body.

Again, and again she checked whether dr. Tannhauser was back in town, but apparently, she made a longer research trip and in the worst case would still be gone for months. Caitlin worked, she took on as many shifts and casual jobs as possible to save money, researched and spent the nights searching for Revibe. That's how the days went by. It went well for a while, but her many questions had consequences. One evening, she had been on this Earth for a month now, she realized that she was being followed.

It had been only a matter of time and it had been her goal, to get their attention or maybe even Revibes, and yet she doubted her decision when she saw several shadows on the walls, which followed her through an alley that led to one of the more remote pubs. The hair on her arms stood up, the heart in her chest galloped and she had to take all the courage. Caitlin stopped and turned around. Three men and a woman, all dressed in black and looking dangerous.

“Did Revibe send you?”, Caitlin asked, and was proud of herself, that her voice didn’t tremble and that the words came confidently over her lips.

“I have a strange feeling that this is what you wanted to achieve? Who are you? I'm sure you’re not a cop. Maybe a reporter who doesn't believe the media? Why are you looking for Revibe when we all know he's in prison?”, answered the woman.

“I know Revibe's still out there. They have my friend, who, stupidly, looks a lot like your leader.”

“Little girl, watch what you're saying. Such allegations can cause serious troubles”, the woman threatened her and moved her black lips to a disturbing grin. Little girl. The woman was certainly not much older than her, but Caitlin, although also in black clothes, still looked innocent in contrast to the intimidating woman in front of her.

“No one's going to believe her story anyway. She's crazy. See? Simple”, said one of the men, a broad type with an unkempt beard.

“I don't care. She spreads doubts, and that's very unfortunate. We don't want hope too soon.”

Caitlin knew exactly what the woman meant. They didn't want people to know that Revibe was free. He was planning something. Something big, and she was a danger with her story and questioning if Revibe was free after all.

“So…”, the woman again gave her all her attention “You stop asking questions. You stay away from us. Did you hear me? They'll release your friend soon. Don't worry. But I warn you only once. If you violate my words, there will be consequences.”

Caitlin nodded with clenched fists.

Now she knew at least that Revibe would soon reveal himself. She was worried about his way of comeback. He was still a serious threat to the city, but how could she, only with her words, warn the people when no one would believe her? The one man was right, they’d just think she was crazy. As was the case with this secret organization and dr. Wells.

She repeated these thoughts in her head and mirrored them on her face. The woman and the three men were supposed to think she she wasn’t a danger for them. Just spreading little rumours. It worked.

The woman laughed

“Stupid girl. What did you expect? That we'll get Revibe and rush together to save your friend? Come on. Hold her guys. One more warning, so she doesn't come up with stupid ideas and keep chasing us.”

Caitlin had expected such an additional warning, but nevertheless cold sweat broke out and run over her body. She didn’t try to run away. It was pointless. Two of the men held her on both sides. The woman had a dangerous flash in her eyes. She raised her right arm, build up momentum, and smashed her fist into Caitlin's face. Burning pain swept through her and she covered her eye with her hand. It watered and she noticed how it swelled. That would definitely be a black eye.

“All right, I think that's enough for today. Be warned, sweetheart!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only little interaction between the two, but the next chapter will make it up to you ;-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Harrison Wells**

A black eye.

She had a black eye. Harrison didn‘t know why it was the first thing he noticed and why it was also the first thing that went through his mind. Although, some time had passed since their first encounter, she hadn’t gone out of his mind. He was embarrassed to admit to himself that he had thought about her. More than about Revibe. This had to be because she had been snooping around his lab and he still couldn’t quite understand why she had shown such a strong aversion, or rather fear, to him.

It was again a strange coincidence that Mrs. Davis had called him this morning and asked for a meeting. And right now, it was already late and probably nobody else was in the building, Snow just walked into his office without a warning and without knocking.

He sat at his desk and had flown over the last documents for today, when his office door was torn open and the woman, about whom he had been thinking the last few days and whom he had actually never wanted to see again, came in. There she stood, with her arms folded and her chin raised. One eye was a little swollen and she didn't seem to have tried to cover her injury. Nevertheless, she had red lips again, but this time not a tight dress, but a simple jeans and blue blouse.

“Snow... I thought you promised me I’d never see you again”, said Harrison slowly, put his pen out of his hand and leaned back in his chair.

“Well, I lied. Besides, it wasn't a real promise, and my plan has changed.”

“Your plan? Is that so?”, he raised an eyebrow. Why was she here? Did she have a new strategy or what did she want from him? He had actually made it clear to her that she shouldn’t expect any help from him.

“I’m not here because I want your help”, said the woman, as if she had read his thoughts “just a small favour because I don’t know how to reach the people who have Cisco.”

“And you think I can do that? What if I don’t? Or what if I don’t want to do you that favour?”

“You will. Your special friends want to know what I have to show them.”

Snow sat down in the visitor’s chair and crossed her legs. She played self-confident, but he could see her nervousness.

“How did you get in here?”, he then asked. He was curious. There were fixed visitor times and then everyone who didn’t work here was thrown out.

“Really? That's what you're asking?”

To his satisfaction, she shifted uncomfortable around on her chair under his gaze.

“Yes, so it can't happen again.”

“I've been hiding”, she said simply.

Harrison had expected that she had crippled the alarm system with the help of her criminal friends and climbed through a window into one of the corridors. Not that she had come in with the visitors and hid in the building for hours.

“In the ladies' room or what?”

“I know this place really well. Here are many small rooms and storerooms that are rarely used or entered. It wouldn't have been necessary for me to hide in the toilet, but I would have done it, if necessary.”

He couldn't help but imagine her sitting in one of the storerooms waiting for most people to leave.

“I could've been gone by now.”

“Maybe, but how likely was it? I recognize workaholics.”

How would she know hardworking people? He frowned.

“Can you tell your contacts that I want to talk to one of them?”

Her voice tore him out of his thoughts. He looked at the clock and sighed heavily. Harrison should have thrown Miss Snow out right away, but somehow, he was curious about what she was planning and with what she was trying to convince them.

“I've got a meeting anyway. You can come with me.”

For the first time he saw the woman smile and he hoped that he wouldn’t regret his decision to take her with him.

He got up, grabbed his things and walked to the door. There he turned to her. She looked at him. Miss Snow hadn’t moved, but watched him closely. Harrison didn’t like the way she looked at him. Was he too nice? The last thing he wanted was for her to hope she could make herself popular with him. He’d take her to his meeting with Mrs. Davis, and then Miss Snow would be her problem.

“Are you coming or not? I'm late”, he snapped at her, causing her to get up quickly and rush to him.

Then they were both in the elevator. This time she didn't press herself against the wall like a caged and frightened animal, but stood next to him as if they weren't enemies. Just like normal people. He didn’t like that. She didn’t act like a criminal at all, and that made him unsure.

She followed him through the building to the exit and to his car. They didn't talk to each other, and it was strange for him to sit in his car with her next to him. During the ride, he occasionally looked at her from the corners of his eyes. She stared out the window with an absent-minded look and he wondered what she was thinking about. Stop. He didn't care what she was thinking. He turned the radio on and flinched when a trashy pop song sounded through the car. Miss Snow gave him a look and changed the channels until she found a calm song, which had a pleasant sound and didn’t poke in his head like the first one.

“You’re waiting here. I’m coming to get you”, he said and got out of the car. Shortly, he thought about whether she would leave and whether he should lock up the doors. He decided against it. He quickly overcame the few meters and climbed into the black car with the tinted windows.

“I brought Caitlin Snow”, he said without saying hello. Mrs. Davis looked at him surprised.

“How?”

“She just came to my office. Miss Snow wants to show you something.”

“What a fitting time. We’ve had her under surveillance. Yesterday was a meeting between her and close followers of Revibe.”

“So, she’s one of them”, he said bitterly. His reaction was unexpected. He knew she was carrying out a plan from Revibe. Why did the revelation disappoint him?

“It wasn’t friendly.”

“It could have been a show.”

“She has a black eye”, pointed Mrs. Davis out.

“Maybe on purpose?”

“Dr. Wells… I have to tell you something.”

Her face was very serious and Harrison feared the worst.

“We analysed the remains of the late Caitlin Snow and compared them to samples from the Caitlin Snow sitting in your car. The remains are real. The DNA is identical.”

His mouth was suddenly dry and his thoughts overturned.

“Maybe she's the secret identical twin? Single twins are only 99. 9 percent identical…”

“We checked that too. If there was a twin, we would have figured that out. She's not a meta-being either, so no kind of cell or body shifter. There's no explanation for her existence…”

“…except for her story”, concluded Harrison. He looked out of the tinted window at his car. Could it be? Told she the truth the whole time, and it wasn't a plan from Revibe?

“I don't know if we can trust her. We have to be careful. Just because she might be from another Earth doesn't mean Cisco Ramon is too.”

“But he could.”

“Yeah, and that's what worries me the most. We have questioned him extensively and his answers about his Earth are very detailed. Would Revibe have bothered to rehearse that?”

“I don't know. I trust Revibe to do anything.” But come up with a whole Earth?

“As far as Caitlin Snow is concerned… could you check her at your lab? Your equipment is better and we want to play it safe.”

Harrison didn't like the idea of letting Miss Snow into his lab and examining her, but he nodded.

“All right, I brought you a sample of the remains. Now you're welcome to go get Miss Snow.”

**Caitlin Snow**

This had gone better than she thought. She had expected him to kick her out of his office immediately. Instead, he had been calmer than the last time. Not friendly, but not as aggressive. She had imagined her conversation while waiting in one of the storerooms. His sight still unsettled her, but she hadn't been afraid of him today. The ride in his car hadn’t been unpleasant. Okay, there had been a tension in the air that she couldn’t quite assign.

She had secretly watched Harrison Wells clutching the steering wheel and ignoring her, how he flinched when the radio had played this terribly aggressive song and she had picked out a fitting song that would relax him a bit. Caitlin didn't know why… well, after all, she was a nice person.

Caitlin heard a door slam shut and shortly thereafter the car door was opened at her side. Even in the dark, she saw Wells staring at her as if she had grown a second head. He took them to the other car, and they both got in. He in the front, she in the back. Caitlin didn't know the woman behind the wheel.

“Caitlin Snow, hello, I'm Mrs. Davis. Dr. Wells told me you wanted to show us something?”, the woman, Mrs. Davis, asked directly. She had a friendly face and Caitlin was surprised.

“That's right.”

Caitlin took a small device out of her jacket pocket.

The attention of both of them was focused on her and she tried to hide her nervousness. If this wasn't convincing, then she didn't know what to do.

“It's a recording device. I've confronted followers of Revibe, and they've more or less admitted that Revibe is free”, she explained.

Mrs. Davis and Dr. Wells shared a look with each other.

“Play it”, demanded Dr. Wells.

“Okay.”

She started the recording and they listened. After that, a heavy silence followed until Mrs. Davis finally asked: “Do you have a copy of it?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Can I have the device?”

“You believe me?” she asked hopefully.

“We're considering it, Miss Snow. We have… well, we have evidence that you could really be from another Earth.”

“You dug up my dead doppelganger”, Caitlin said soundless. At the thought, her stomach turned around.

Mrs. Davis didn't answer that, and that was enough of an answer.

“I asked Dr. Wells to run some more tests on you. Before we can really believe your story, we need to be sure.”

“Of course. What are you going to do about Revibe, the real one, and what about Cisco?”

“It’s not that easy. We’re missing solid evidence that Cisco Ramon isn’t Revibe.

“So you can’t release him until the real Revibe reappears?”

“Exactly, and then it will be really hard to explain that to the public. This is going to be a scandal. We will have to pretend Revibe escaped. To reveal that Revibe has a doppelganger… that should be a secret.”

“It won't be long.” Dr. Wells spoke again, he had only listened to them for a while and she had tried to ignore his gaze “If the recording is neither manipulated nor set, he will strike soon. We should be prepared.”

Harrison Wells and she drove back to the lab. He seemed to be deeply in his mind, and probably he tried to get used to the fact that she wasn’t the one he thought she was. Sure, he hadn’t been totally convinced yet, but it was a start.

“No apology?”

“What?”

“I asked why I don’t get an apology.”

“Why should you?” he said grumpily.

“Because you treated me like a criminal and I’m not a criminal?”

He made a sound, which came close to a mixture of humming and grunting. His voice triggered a strange feeling in her stomach.

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about the criminal part. Just because you maybe - _maybe_ \- have told the truth and come from another Earth doesn’t mean you can be trusted.”

“Do I look like a criminal to you?”, asked Caitlin sceptically.

“As a matter-of-fact you broke into my office today.”

“I wouldn’t call this a break-in.”

“I do.”

“I didn’t break anything!”

“If I find or steal a key and open a door with it, then I’m breaking in.”

“I was let in”, she countered.

“You didn’t follow the rules. Opening hours.”

Caitlin rolled her eyes.

“I had no choice.”

“You could have made an appointment.”

“Sure, and what? Wait days or weeks?”

“Good point.”

Caitlin allowed herself a small smile.

“But you still broke in.”

She huffed.

“Okay, you win. Then it was a little break-in. But I’m not a criminal!”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Do you think your Revibe brought me and my friend Cisco from another Earth so we could do a little bank robbery here with him?”

“Watch what you say. You don’t seem to know everything. Revibe is much more. He recruits and he kills.”

“I’m not a meta, I’m not fit to fight, I’m not a big threat. What would Revibe do with someone like me?”

He didn’t answer.

The building was dark and empty. Although Caitlin had driven alone with him in the car, she had slight doubts. Alone in the lab with the man who looked like Thawne. She was afraid that she would get flashbacks or think he was Thawne again.

Harrison Wells also seemed tense and looked like he wanted to get it over with quickly. They went to his private lab and Caitlin looked at the many things and unfinished inventions. The lab itself was very impressive. She sat on a lounger in the corner and tried to roll up her sleeves. If she had known her blood would get tested, she would have put on a different top. Frustrated, she snorted. She took it off. If it could be avoided, she didn’t want to be stung into her wrists. She preferred her arm.

Dr. Wells remained frozen in front of her.

“I don’t like being stung into my hands or wrists”, she justified herself. His eyes seemed to burn into her skin and she felt her cheeks getting hot.

He had all the materials with him and sat on the chair in front of her. She watched him prepare everything and frowned. He didn’t look like he was taking blood often.

“I can do it myself.”

“Oh, yeah?”, he asked without looking at her.

“Yes, I am a medical doctor”, she explained and added: “and a bioengineer.”

No response.

“You don’t believe me? I _can_ do it myself.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I’m doing it. Now, give me your arm.”

His hand was warm. He disinfected her arm bend and she made her hand into a fist so that the veins came out. He had never been as close to her as now, and for the first time, his very own smell crawled into her nose. His proximity made her heart beat faster and she didn’t know why, as she didn’t confuse him with Thawne. He picked out the vein and put the needle on it.

“I hope you hit.” She joked to overplay her nervousness. She wasn’t afraid of needles, the immediate pain or circulatory problems. No, it was him. He made her nervous.

“Are you afraid? _Doctor_ Snow?”, he mocked her, his eyes focussed on her skin.

“No, I only doubt your skill. It would be a shame if you had to sting again.”

His blue eyes found her hazel ones for a short moment. Dr. Well’s glasses were a little bit dirty and his hair was tangled. Then he looked down again and stung her.

“You could've asked if I would get dizzy and need to lay down.”

“Does that make you dizzy?”

He was still close to her and when he spoke she felt his breath on her skin. The man didn’t have to be so close to her to take her blood. And she really should have left her top on and, exceptionally, let him sting in her hand. Then she wouldn’t feel so naked in front of him now, only in her plain white bra.

“A little bit.”

“Then lay down. But slowly! I don’t want your blood everywhere.”

Charming. Carefully she laid down. He continued to sit next to her on his chair, right next to her lounger, holding her arm in one hand, as if she were dropping it at any moment, and holding the syringe filled with her blood in the other hand.

“All right.”

He pulled out the needle and Caitlin had to admit that he had skilful hands. Beautiful hands with long fingers that were good to make things. Wells handed her a little piece of cloth and she pressed it on her wound so the bleeding would stop and she wouldn’t get a bruise.

Then she closed her eyes, because she really felt a little weird in her head, while he was cleaning up everything. She fell asleep at some point. His voice woke her up.

“I’m done”, he said. The upper buttons of his shirt were open and he seemed excited. Seeing him like that was a sight for itself. His blue eyes shone and he was much too awake for the late hour.

She got up, the dizziness was completely gone, put on her blouse and followed him. He showed her the results on the computer.

“This match is really fascinating. And kind of creepy.”

“It confirms their results”, added Dr. Wells and for the first time, in relation to this subject, she heard scientific curiosity in his voice.

Caitlin sat down on the table and let her legs dangle. He gave her an irritated look.

“We’re done”, he said unfriendly, as if he had remembered that he didn’t like her. Translated, that meant she should disappear. She recalled that he only did what Mrs. Davis had asked him to do.

“Okay.”

She took her jacket and Dr. Wells accompanied her out of the building. It rained heavily and Caitlin wrapped her arms around her body. Hopefully, she would caught one of the night buses. She quickly went through the rain, her head lowered, when suddenly a car stopped beside her. For a brief moment, she was afraid that Revibe's followers had learned of her action, but then the passenger’s door was pushed open and she looked into Harrison Wells' grumpy face.

“Get in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feedback is welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

**Harrison Wells**

The rain was dropping loudly on the roof of the car. Miss Snow was soaked, strands stuck to her face and she tried unsuccessfully to suppress the clapping of her teeth. Stormy and cold autumn weather. Harrison turned the heating on.

“Here to the left. It‘s the big building“, she said. He stopped the car. The lodging made a shabby impression and it was only now that he wondered how she got along in the first place on this Earth. All alone.

“Thank you.” She gave him a sincere smile. Then she climbed out of the car and hurried to the front door. Harrison waited until she disappeared in the building before he left.

This eventful night had been exhausting and he noticed how the energy was leaving him. He had to turn loud music on so he wouldn’t fall asleep while driving. In addition, he distracted himself with thoughts. He was thinking about tomorrow’s important meeting, but somehow his thoughts kept going back to Miss Snow. How she slept in his lab while he compared her blood to that of the late Caitlin Snow from this Earth.

The smile she just gave him. He frowned confused. His thoughts made no sense. She was kind of a scientific miracle. Proof of the existence of other Earths, other universes. It had nothing to do with her charming smile.

**Caitlin Snow**

The next day, Caitlin slept long as the night had been very long and she didn’t have to work today, her phone rang and woke her up. The number was suppressed, but she wasn’t surprised when she heard Mrs. Davis' voice. They wanted to question her again and asked for her help. Cisco had told them about their Earth, and Caitlin was supposed to check the information. Of course, she agreed. She quickly jumped under the shower, put on her clothes and picked up some food from a nearby snack bar. Then she was on her way to the agreed meeting point where she would be picked up.

She was blindfolded for the whole ride and even for the building itself. This organization took the secrecy very seriously. This time she was in another room, which was friendlier than the last one. There was even a couch. Mrs. Davis came in and greeted her with a smile.

“Good you could come so fast!”, said the older woman. Here in the light, Caitlin could see her better than last night in the car. She had dark brown hair, with already grey strands, that went up to her shoulders. Mrs. Davis was wearing pink glasses and had a maternal appearance. Caitlin wondered why such a woman worked here. She still remembered the other woman which had interviewed her on the first day on this Earth. She had been the opposite. Caitlin didn’t complain.

“I'll do the questions today. If all goes well we can visit Mr. Ramon afterwards.”

There were a lot of questions, and most of them were being used by Mrs. Davis to verify that Cisco's and Caitlin’s statements were alike. They were about their Earth, her job, her relationship with Cisco and why exactly they came to this Earth. Caitlin answered everything truthfully.

“Your work with this Flash team sounds interesting. You know, we have something similar here. We don't have a fast man, but we have talented scientists who help capture metas that have gone wild.”

“Oh really?”

“You could work with the team. It would be an exchange of experiences. Mr. Ramon will have to stay here until we can prove that he isn’t Revibe. And then there's the matter of his lost powers…”

Caitlin knew what Mrs. Davis was referring to. She would be here indefinitely and should use the time wisely. Why not do the same here as at home?

“Your new job would pay pretty well and you could rent your own apartment. It's just an idea, I still have to discuss this with those responsible, but what do you say?”

The thought of looking for an apartment had something permanent about it. That scared the shit out of her.

“I don't know if I'm ready for an apartment here yet...”

Mrs. Davis smiled sympathetically.

“There is no rush, but the opportunity is there. You are currently working at Big Belly Burger?”

“Yes”, Caitlin grimaced “It pays my bills, but the prospect of doing something that is more familiar and where I feel really useful again... I would love to do it. If it’s possible.”

“I'll see what I can do.”

He was handcuffed, but otherwise no one could tell that he was imprisoned.

"Caity!" Cisco exclaimed in relief. She was left alone and Caitlin immediately ran over to give him a hug.

"It's good to see you!" Caitlin said, and a few tears ran from her eyes.

"Oh yes," said Cisco and grinned.

"How are you?"

"Quite well. I mean... well, they still fear I'm Revibe, but this“ He raised his arms "is unnecessary. I don't have my powers."

"So, they didn't come back suddenly?" Caitlin hadn't believed in it, but she still had a little hope that Cisco's abilities would come back on their own.

"No." Cisco shook his head "We're stuck here."

"Mrs. Davis is looking for a job for me. To help with their metas.“

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

“It's better than working at Big Belly Burger. I'm sure."

Cisco laughed and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Big Belly Burger? For real?"

"I need money!"

"Oh yes right. Sorry, but I can't imagine you there. "

"It's OK, but the opportunity to work in a team with scientists where I would make myself useful and could look out for Revibe would be so much better. And, of course, it's better paid."

Then, Caitlin told Cisco everything she had seen so far.

"So, you met the Wells here. How is he?“, Cisco asked curiously and Caitlin shrugged. For some reason she found it uncomfortable to go into detail about it. About _him_.

“I don't know what to think of him, but that doesn't matter. I will have nothing more to do with him. He can be really mean, but he's not quite as bad as we feared.”

Cisco somehow seemed to sense that there was more. Caitlin wasn't sure _what_ else was there, so she was a little glad their time together was over. That she felt this way made her feel guilty.

Mrs. Davis had promised her that she could visit Cisco once a week. Everything else was still too risky. These people started to trust her, but it was different with Cisco. As long as Revibe didn't show up, they'd keep Cisco here.

That evening her boss called and asked if she could step in on short notice. Caitlin had been laying in bed all day thinking about how shitty her life was right now. She had wanted to get drunk, but working should also help as a distraction.

**Harrison Wells**

He had just come out of the laboratory after tinkering with a new invention for longer than planned. But since Jessie was with a friend today and also stayed the night, that wasn't so bad. Usually he just picked up the food, but he didn't want to go back home yet. So, he stepped into Big Belly Burger. It wasn't too full. He ordered two burgers with extra cheese, fries and a coke. Then he sat in one of the back corners and checked his messages on his phone.

Mrs. Davis had written to him that she had something to discuss with him. Yet again. Harrison couldn't shake the feeling that it was going to be something bad.

A surprised sound made him look up from his phone. Miss Snow stood before him. She was holding a tray with his order on it. She wore the typical Big Belly Burger uniform and stared at him with wide eyes before she looked away and put the tablet on his table. She turned.

“Snow?”

She froze.

“You forgot my ketchup.”

“Sorry, I will get it”, she answered quickly and hurried off.

Harrison watched her go. Why had he wanted to eat in here today of all times? After yesterday he hadn't thought that he would see her again anytime soon. Or at all. But apparently, he was being followed by her. What was the likelihood that she was working at the Big Belly Burger place he sometimes drove by after work?

Miss Snow returned and handed him the little ketchup bottle.

“Have you been working here for a long time?”, he asked and was surprised himself that he spoke to her again. He spilled ketchup on the fries.

“I got the job the first week since…”

“Since you've been here”, he finished her sentence and she nodded. Her cheeks were red and he suspected she was embarrassed about this job. In any case, she was overqualified. He believed her that she had a doctorate and was a bio engineer.

“You don't have to look like that. I enjoy working here and this job is not a bad thing!”

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Were his thoughts that obvious?

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn't need any words.”

Harrison had no idea why she was reacting this way. Riled up. Anyone who had previously worked as a scientist could certainly not find fulfilment in serving hungry people.

“Well, you lied”, he crossed his arms.

“Are you always such an asshole?”

Harrison coughed.

“Wasn't there a rule? The guest is the king? I'm sure you shouldn't insult customers.”

“And I'm pretty sure it's not right to put people down because of their job!”

It amused him how upset Miss Snow was.

“Is this going to be a discussion about morals now?”

“No, that won't be a discussion at all. I’m working and don’t have time for your insults.”

“Actually, I didn't offend you, you offended me.”

He was reminded of their discussion yesterday. About Miss Snows break-in.

“Is there a problem?”

They both looked at an older man. The way Miss Snow acted, the man was her boss.

Snow gave him a look that could be described as a 'you’re going to die if I'm losing my job because of you' look. He had to pull himself together not to laugh out loud.

“No, I just forgot the ketchup.”

Her boss didn't seem convinced. The discussion must have been louder than he'd thought.

“Yeah, just the ketchup”, Harrison confirmed and winked at her as the man left.

Miss Snow frowned.

“You are in a good mood”, she said in disbelief.

“I’m not a stone.”

“You really seem to enjoy getting me in trouble”, she huffed.

“You think that's why I'm in a good mood?”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes.” Harrison bit into one of the two burgers. Delicious. He chewed and swallowed loudly. “I like the burgers. If I had known that you were working here and that I’m a danger to your pretended, fulfilled work life, then I would not have even got in.”

Miss Snow shook her head and left.

He ate in silence and couldn't help but watch her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her bringing orders to the tables and cleaning the empty seats. She looked out of place. Miss Snow did her job well and thoroughly, but it wasn't her. He almost felt guilty how he had talked to her. She had no other option.

Stop it.

Her life was none of his business. She wasn't his problem. Yesterday he'd just done Mrs. Davis a favor, that was all. The only fascination he had with Miss Snow was the fact she was from another universe. But he had enough to do and his focus had to be Revibe.


	7. Chapter 7

**Harrison Wells**

"No. Absolutely not.”

“I can't imagine that the woman is _that_ bad. Give her a chance. We would all benefit”, said Mrs. Davis. According to her face, she was annoyed by him and his stubborn behaviour.

“You cannot be serious. I thought secrecy and security were important to you?”

“Caitlin Snow could help the team. She would be a great asset. You have little experience with those metahumans. She already has experience _and_ a medical degree. A _doctor_ is never wrong and with her bio engineering knowledge... In summary, she would be perfect for the job.”

She laid stress on Miss Snow’s merits as if she knew her personally and could confirm that she wasn’t lying about her experiences.

“I’m not sure if she can be trusted. She could lie about what kind of knowledge she has.”

“We will test her. Plus, if she lied, she'll be blown straight away. Which, by the way, I don't believe.”

She gave him a triumphant look and he knew he was losing the argument. Harrison pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe they were really having this conversation right now.

“Give her a chance. When you work with Miss Snow you can keep an eye on her.” Mrs. Davis didn’t give up.

“I don't want to have to keep an eye on her because she isn’t trustworthy. And what should I tell the others?”

“The truth.”

“I thought her origins should be kept a secret”, he muttered.

“You can tell the team the truth. Ultimately, you should benefit from her based on her experiences in your field.”

 _In your field_. By that she meant his new undercover job. His team. A team of two scientists, who also worked at S.T.A.R. labs, and two agents who had joined them from one of the secret services. It was new and they actually needed someone with Miss Snows knowledge. Supposed knowledge. They made special weapons with which they could fight the meta-beings.

Revibe's campaign of revenge against Harrison had gave him a wake-up call. After the explosion, he hadn't wanted to admit his guilt, but after the death of his ex-wife he knew he had to make up for his mistake.

“Okay, we'll give it a try, but if I feel strange about something or if something happens, she'll be kicked out of the team. Have I made it clear enough?”

He had used his work-voice. It had a great effect on his employees and his daughter had confessed to him that it scared her a little. But Mrs. Davis didn't even bat an eyelash, just gave him a winning smile.

“Yes, that was clear enough! I'll talk to her and get back to you.”

Harrison had a sour aftertaste and a bad mood when he came home. Working with Miss Snow… that was far from good. He wanted to focus on Revibe and now he had to integrate a foreign woman into the team and then make sure she didn’t screw up.

He found Jesse in the living room, where she was sitting wrapped in a blanket, watching a movie and eating popcorn. She looked at him only briefly, recognized his bad mood, and then ignored him. His daughter was watching some romance. A pretty corny romance, as he soon discovered. He fled into the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. His mind continued to turn to Miss Snow. Something that happened more often lately.

He was probably not getting rid of this woman so easily.

**Caitlin Snow**

Mrs. Davis called her sooner than expected and had good news for her. Caitlin had become accustomed to the thought and was even excited. This excitement, however, turned into a kind of panic when the details were given to her. Dr. Wells headed the team. She could have supposed it, but she hadn’t really considered it. She thought of their last encounter and bit on her lower lip. How was she supposed to work with him? He didn’t like her. That was clear, and she could do without his stupid comments… Besides, her last experiences with a Wells as a boss weren’t the best either, considering that he turned out to be a villain.

But she couldn’t and didn’t want to withdraw. Caitlin swore to herself she would do her best and stay as far away from him as possible.

She quit her job at Big Belly Burger’s, which felt as if she had lost the argument against Dr. Wells. She had defended her job against him and now she quit _to_ _work for him_. Caitlin imagined his face when he had learned she was going to work for him. Had he smiled at that irony? Or was he too busy with cursing about this development? Ultimately, she would never know and she should stop thinking about what was going on in his head. Working for him wouldn’t be easy and she had to focus on her work. On work alone.

On her first day, Caitlin made a special effort with her outfit, as she wanted to make a professional and competent impression. Her best pants and blouse. She still didn’t have much and she couldn’t wait for her first pay check. Although, she had never been fixated on money, she was forced to build a new life and that went badly without money. She really didn’t want to put on the same clothes every other day for work.

Caitlin was nervous and excited at the same time. To her great relief, it wasn’t Dr. Wells who picked her up at the entrance of S.T.A.R. labs, but a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She introduced herself as Veronica and took Caitlin to the area where visitors and ordinary scientists had no access. The rooms, which were the team’s workplace (Caitlin called them the secret lab in her head), were in the basement behind a door, which needed a fingerprint to open.

They were the only ones and Veronica used the time to give Caitlin a tour. She explained that she had previously worked for a secret service and now supported the team as a fighter. She and Rob tested the guns and intervened when Metas were causing trouble or engaging in criminal activities.

“Our two scientists are a bit special, but you can work well with them. Well, I should warn you about Dr. Wells. I know you science people are all excited about his accomplishments, but don’t take it personally if he acts like… an asshole.”

Oh, she was honest and direct. Caitlin liked her. That Dr. Wells had a reputation and she was warned about him didn’t surprise her. Not one bit.

She took a good look at Veronica. This woman didn’t seem to be intimidated by Dr. Wells. Well, Caitlin hadn’t seen her new boss at work yet. Only as a stranger and there he had already behaved difficult. It was going to be fun. Not.

Veronica continued the tour. Caitlin would have to get used to how same _and_ different this building was from her Earth. Her new workplace was well equipped and apparently, she had her own small office, which was right next to an infirmary.

“It can sometimes be quite hectic and loud here, so we all have our own offices. Dr. Wells thinks it’s a better way to work, but I think it’s boring. Rob and I are mostly in the main room together or practising. Dr. Steen and Dr. Cooper are also most of the time stuck together. I think the only one who really needs his alone-time to work is Dr. Wells”, explained Veronica and rolled her eyes. 

“We’ve planned a prison or, more specifically, rooms where we can lock up the evil metas until they’re taken somewhere else. An engineer is coming next week.”

At that moment, three men came to the secret lab. They introduced themselves. Rob, who used to work in the military, was a large man with many muscles. He had a friendly smile, short brown hair and brown eyes.

Dr. Maximilian Steen was about Caitlin’s age. He was very thin, his skin was a dark shade of brown, his hair was black and his eyes were dark brown. He had glasses and very distinctive features. Caitlin looked at him a little longer than necessary. The man wore grey clothes and seemed shy, but he was handsome.

Dr. Leonard Cooper was the opposite. He was very young and looked like he had just finished his studies. He had blonde curls, bright brown eyes and a very colorful dress style. His jeans were bright yellow and his shirt was green and orange, but somehow it suited him.

“We met Dr. Wells on the way here. He’s got something to do and he won’t be here until later. You should set up your computer and familiarize yourself with the infirmary and our stocks”, said Dr. Cooper and gave her an encouraging smile.

Veronica and Rob went to the practice room to test some new inventions, Dr. Cooper and Dr. Steen started talking about a certain meta, which apparently could shrink. Caitlin would love to talk with the two scientists, but they were so deep in their discussion that she didn’t want to disturb them. Her office was bald and Caitlin made an inner note that she should buy a plant.

Then she inspected the computer. When she was done with the basic settings, she went to the infirmary. The necessary equipment was there, but it didn’t seem to have been used frequently. Caitlin remembered the team was new. After that, she checked the materials in the cupboards and found some were missing. On her Earth, she was trained in treating injuries, and with metas with different abilities you had to be prepared for everything.

She started making a list and was so focused she didn’t realize, when someone was suddenly standing in the door. But then she felt eyes watching her and her heart was knocking a little faster than it should be. She slowly lifted her gaze from her list and stared straight into Dr. Harrison Well’s blue eyes.

**Harrison Wells**

Miss Snow was deeply involved in her work when he entered the infirmary. Wardrobes were open and she wrote on a small block. She was just kneeling on the ground and sorting something back into a lower drawer. Harrison knew it wasn’t professional to watch her, but he, strangely, couldn’t get himself to say anything. Miss Snow got up and crossed something on her block. Then she suddenly froze, her hand with the pen hovering over the paper, and looked at him.

“Dr. Wells”, she said hesitant and nodded at him in greeting. Seeing her here… She really would work here. On his team. With him.

“Snow”, he just answered and then pointed to her block “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I-“, she interrupted herself and he raised an eyebrow. Apparently, she remembered that he was now her boss. Harrison was a bit disappointed as he found her unfiltered answers kind of amusing.

“I'm making a list of materials that I would like to add”, said Miss Snow in a neutral tone.

“I want you in my office in five minutes. There are a few things to clarify”, he declared and left.

She came after six minutes. They went through her contract, her working hours, holidays and rights. The contract was different from that of his other employees, which was related to Miss Snow’s extraordinary… situation. They were both professional and both behaved as if they had never met before. It was good if it stayed like this. Although he had permission, he hadn’t decided yet whether to explain Miss Snow’s situation to the other members of the team or not.

When she left his office again, he stared at the closed door for a few seconds. There was an unnerving feeling in his stomach he couldn’t categorize. He still thought it was a bad idea she was working here now, but it didn’t seem to bother him _that_ much anymore. He pressed his lips against each other and buried his face in his hands. Miss Snow confused him and he didn’t know why. But it made him angry. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun writing this chapter!

**Caitlin Snow**

The first week went by quickly. Caitlin spent day and night in the lab, but nobody said anything about it. Her colleagues expressed different feelings towards her. Veronica had decided that they were friends from now on. “As the only women in this male-infested team, we must stick together!", she had explained on her second day. Veronicas partner Rob was a muscleman and didn't say much. Which was better, because he said pretty much dumb stuff. As an example, he had asked if she was single and had to be reminded by Veronica that relationships between people on the team were forbidden. That had also been in Caitlin's contract, but she didn't worry about it. She wasn't planning on putting down roots here. Let alone form deep relationships here. It would only break her heart when she and Cisco leave.

Dr. Maximilian Steen - everyone just called him Max - had hardly spoken to her and Caitlin noticed his suspicious looks. It would probably take him a little longer to get used to her. Dr. Leonard Cooper - Leo for short - on the other hand talked non-stop if he was allowed to and he was Dr. Wells preferred target.

Caitlin liked Leo the most, which was probably because his manner reminded her a little bit of Cisco, who could always make her laugh. Leo got along well with everyone except Dr. Wells, but that didn't surprise Caitlin. Her boss - it was really strange to work for… _him_ again - took no fun at all. Leo got most of his comments, but the others were not spared anything either. Veronica was five minutes late and he embarrassed her in front of the whole team by picking on her. Rob didn’t understand something and Caitlin explained it to him, whereupon they were both grumbled at by Dr. Wells for wasting precious time. Rob didn't need to understand anything, except how to handle the new weapons. Even the quiet Max was not spared if he didn’t work or answered a question fast enough for Wells’ expectations. In short: Dr. Harrison Wells was a tyrant.

So, she was all the more surprised that he never snapped at her directly. Instead, he ignored her, which filled Caitlin with anger. How should she work effectively in this team if he doesn’t let her? Leo and even Max came to her when they needed her opinion. Veronica and Rob were medically cared for by her. Only Dr. Wells hadn’t set a foot in her area since day one.

It was Friday night and Caitlin analysed a sample of greenish slime produced by a meta-being. Its consistency was reminiscent of slug mucus. Veronica, Rob and Leo had asked her to come to a bar with them. Of course, she had refused. She wanted to work in a team, but under no circumstances did she want to make real friends here. What good would that do? Dr. Wells hadn't told them about her not being from this Earth. And Caitlin didn’t know how to answer personal questions. It was already overwhelming for her to start looking for an apartment. Every time she went through the ads on the Internet, she panicked. It seemed so… definitive. She missed Iris and Barry. And Cisco, who was still stuck with this secret organization and whom she could only visit once a week.

Through the glass wall Caitlin saw Max turn off the lights at his workplace and go as well. Unlike at home, where they had the Flash, they apparently didn’t make any real bets. There were enough teams of policemen and agents to deal with criminal metas. Or tried to deal with them. That's where they came in. Leo, Max and she analysed the meta-being and looked for weaknesses. If they were just chemical or biological substances, then they mixed them. Dr. Wells assembled real weapons himself. Every now and then Max helped him out. When the weapon or the antidote was ready, Veronica and Rob were sent off with it. The team didn’t make any hasty interventions and so they could plan their working hours flexibly. She and the scientists worked during the day. Rob and Veronica also had to work at night when they wanted to catch a certain meta.

Dr. Wells brought documents that had been filled out and filmed videos during encounters with Metas, and then disappeared again. The team was just extra work for him. Therefore, they were alone most of the time. And when he was there, the mood was suddenly cooler and more stressful. Caitlin had stayed later all days so far and she had noticed that the light went on at his place when the others were already at home, or like today in a bar having a drink.

She was transmitting the results of her slime analysis when the light came on for a short time in the main area. Was he really here working on a Friday night? Caitlin was here because she had no private life and had no intention of building one. But Dr. Wells? She knew that he had a daughter who lived with him since his ex-wife had died in an accident. Caitlin had forgotten his daughter's name, but she was only sixteen. Wouldn't he rather spend time with her? Then Caitlin shrugged. It was none of her business. But...

It reminded her of her childhood and she recognized the parallels. When her father had died, her mother had become even more involved – and absorbed - in her work and they had become estranged from each other. Of course, they had difficulties, but even then, she wished that her mother would give her more attention. This time Caitlin shook her head. She should stop thinking about it and draw comparisons. She didn't know Dr. Wells' daughter, and even if she did… she couldn't get involved in their relationship with each other. Besides, maybe she read too much into it. Just because he worked a lot didn't mean that he neglected the relationship with his daughter. That was only Caitlin's first thought, because it had been her experience.

At that moment Caitlin heard a loud bang, followed by rattling and the sound of shattering glass. Adrenaline rushed through her body and she didn't think, but jumped up from her seat and ran in the direction she thought the sounds were coming from. Dr. Wells' own lab. The door was unlocked and she ripped it open. She stopped at the entrance and took the picture in front of her in.

Two floors from one of the shelves on the wall had come loose. Glass and some liquids and other stuff were spread all over the floor. It was pure chaos. But that didn't worry her as much as Dr. Wells himself. He was standing right in front of the shelf, his back to Caitlin. Most of the glass was shattered at his feet. There were probably some fragments, if not whole shards, in his body.

He was cursing.

"Dr. Wells?", made Caitlin herself known, and she didn't bother to hide her concern for his wounds. Splinters and cuts in the skin weren’t funny.

Abruptly, he turned around and then flinched with closed eyes. It didn't look good. He had only worn a thin shirt, which now had holes and tears in some places.

"Miss Snow," he said with clenched lips, wonderment in his voice. Hadn't he seen the light at her workplace?

"How thick are your shoes?"

"What?" Dr. Wells asked confused.

"Can you get out and walk across the broken glass without any problems, or shall I clear the way?"

He came up to her, so it was no problem. But he moved very carefully. Every movement had to hurt.

"Come," she told him. She wanted to take his arm, but changed her mind. Firstly, he wouldn't want that and secondly, she could grip into a splinter and push it even more into the cut.

He had no objections and followed her silently into her little infirmary. Caitlin was a little surprised about that, but then again… He wasn't stupid and he needed help. _Her_ help.

“Stay there for a while, I want to see if you can sit down!” Caitlin inspected his trousers and found that they too hadn’t been spared. The only places that didn't get hit were his feet. His clothes and hair were full of an unidentified liquid and glass. Caitlin took a deep breath. That would be unpleasant. He watched as she inspected him and considered how best to proceed. It made her nervous. This led to her being annoyed that he could upset her without saying anything. Be professional! That was her job, after all.

Caitlin brought several tweezers, in different sizes, a bowl for the glass pieces and splinters, a swab and disinfectant. She put on gloves.

"I start with your hair and work my way down. Let me know if you need a break. This is going to burn…"

"Do what you have to do," he just said. She knew that he was in pain and had several cuts in his body. Nevertheless, he remained calm. Caitlin quickly fetched a stool so she could get a better look at his head. And then she started. Carefully she searched strand by strand. His dark hair was thick and fluffy. Caitlin twisted her eyes inside. Of course, his hair was fluffy. It was hair! Her bowl filled with small pieces of glass, but it didn't seem to have landed in his hair quite as much. His head had also been spared from the liquid.

"I've finished with the hair for now, but we should wash it carefully later."

“I can wash my hair alone.”

“We'll see”, Caitlin said, just as she got off her stool and turned her attention to his face. His blue eyes stared directly at her and he followed her every move. The first cut was above his right eyebrow. It was good he wore glasses. She found neither a piece of glass nor a splinter, so she just disinfected the cut. Dr. Wells closed his eyes and pulled a face, but didn't make a sound. The second cut on his face was on his right cheek. There she first pulled out a small splinter of glass before disinfecting the wound.

His shirt was beyond saving anyway. Caitlin took a pair of scissors and cut the cloth off his upper body. Although she was careful, he flinched a few times. At first sight it looked bad. This grayish liquid mixed with some blood. But it could have been much worse.

"Remember, let me know if you need a break."

"Yes, _doctor_ Snow," Dr. Wells stressed. She gave him a stern look and the corners of his mouth twitched.

No, that was probably her imagination.

She worked from neck to shoulders. From shoulders to chest. From chest to abdomen. The arms. First left. Then right. So far, there were only two larger pieces. The rest were mostly cuts. Of course, they burned and bleed a little, but that was not a comparison to whole pieces of glass.

Caitlin hesitated briefly and avoided looking him in the face. When he cleared his throat, she woke up from her stiffness. So much for professionalism.

She took the scissors again, crouched down and started cutting off his trousers. Her cheeks heated up and she tried to ignore the fact that his body became stiffer the more cloth she cut away. Finally, he stood in front of her only in boxer shorts and his shoes.

"Okay, I'm going to look if anything's come in here." She didn't have to specify. He knew what she meant. Well, that was really uncomfortable.

Caitlin crouched in front of an almost completely naked man, her current boss to be exact, who also couldn’t stand her, and had to see if glass was in his black boxer shorts. And that was the garment, which she _really_ didn’t want to cut away.

**Harrison Wells**

What did he do to deserve that his day had turned out this way? For once he wanted to do something right and watch a movie with his daughter. But she had told him at the last moment that she would stay overnight at a friend's house. Jesse was still avoiding him. He really needed to talk to her, but if he did, he would probably make it worse. So, he had come back to sort out some old things in his lab. That's when it happened. He was lucky that Miss Snow was still here… It was fortunate in misfortune that the person with real medical experience was still here to treat him. But in the meantime, he was no longer so sure about the matter of _luck_. Now, when she was crouching in front of him, looking for glass on his boxer shorts.

Her fingers lay carefully on his hips as she examined the black fabric. She bit her lower lip and her look was highly concentrated. Harrison found it fascinating to watch her work. How could he ever have thought that she was lying about her experience? He couldn't take his eyes off her and he knew it was a mistake. One, who could put him in serious trouble. Although his body was full of burning cuts, the heart in his chest was beating faster not because of the injuries, but because of Miss Snow, who was inspecting a spot on him that he had never expected to be studied so thoroughly by her. His body made no difference to the fact she was only treating him medically. He had to act before it got even more embarrassing than it already was.

"A break," he said.

She slowly stood up, her cheeks were red and there was uncertainty in her eyes.

"Of course!" she said too hasty.

Harrison turned away from her and counted the seconds until his blood calmed down a little. He tested his own boxer shorts. Luckily, he didn’t find anything.

“Okay, you can go on with the legs”, he said and cringed by the sound of his words. Miss Snow nodded. His left leg was worse than his right leg. These cuts would annoy him for a few more days, but none were so deep that a scar would remain. Again, blessing in disguise.

When Miss Snow finished her treatment, she exhaled with relief. She put the utensils away and came back with some cream.

"This ointment should help with the healing. Do you have spare clothes or should I get some?"

Harrison was about to tell her to get him something just to see what she would bring him. Instead, he shook his head.

"I have clothes here, but thank you," he explained. After a brief hesitation, he added "for everything."

He wanted to leave the infirmary, but Miss Snow held him by the arm. Her fingers, now without gloves, burned on his skin. But it wasn’t the fault of a cut.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You're good with cleaning your hair?" Harrison could barely suppress a laugh. Instead, he stared at her the way he always looked when someone asked him a stupid question.

"Of course. Miss Snow, you're off duty."

She dropped her hand. He knew that she didn't like his not so friendly answer, but he couldn't trust his body right now and more time with Miss Snow _certainly_ wouldn't help.

“Okay, well, good night.”

Harrison put on the clothes he kept in his office for emergencies. He took his things and went home. They had a shower here, but he wanted to leave as soon as possible. Get away from _her_. He didn’t know what got into him. All week he had successfully ignored her, but with this incident today it would not be so easy anymore.

**Caitlin Snow**

What was that? Ever since she had seen Dr. Wells in his laboratory in a pile of broken glass, she had known that the evening would take a turn for the strange. There were reasons why he ignored her and now he had been forced to interact with her. God, that was so embarrassing. Had he noticed that she had looked at a certain spot for too long? Of course, he had noticed! After all, he was a man. She felt a little bad that he had to take a break only because of her inability to remain professional. In her defence, she had simply been overwhelmed. It wasn't every day you were face to face with your boss's groin. Caitlin buried the face in her hands. But as soon as it got dark before her eyes, she saw his lips pressed together as he turned away from her. Shame brought a blush to her face, again. He had been angry with her. She could only hope he wouldn't take it out on her now.


	9. Chapter 9

**Caitlin Snow**

Dr. Wells had forgotten to lock his lab. Since he had gone to his office to get dressed, she hadn’t seen him again. Well, it was better this way. The whole situation was uncomfortable for her and certainly to him as well. She wanted to clear her head so it seemed appropriate she would try to clean up the chaos which had led to the whole situation in the first place. Therefore, she was now standing in his laboratory armed with a vacuum cleaner, mop and bucket. Glass splinters, half-broken glasses and this liquid that got stuck under her shoes. It would take a while.

After five minutes picking up the largest pieces of broken glass one by one, she realized that she had been wrong with her assumption. Instead of distracting herself, her thoughts drifted back again and again. Her head repeated the events in an eternal loop. Even the vacuum cleaner couldn’t drown out her thoughts. She was really trying to concentrate on cleaning up.

Frustrated, she exhaled and blew a strand of hair from her face that had come loose from her pony tail.

Caitlin gave up.

As soon as she had done this, her thoughts went completely different ways. She no longer thought only about his wounds, their conversation and her shameful feelings when she had stared too long at a certain spot, but about completely _dumb_ things. His dark hair, which had felt so soft under her fingers. The blue of his eyes, which had observed her. His body, which had tensed under her touch. Up to the point where she inspected his underwear.

Caitlin had cleaned up the broken pieces and reached for the mop.

She had been overwhelmed. Of course, she had been overwhelmed! It had been a very strange situation, but when she thought about it, it wasn’t entirely because he was her boss. No, it was more the fact she had felt safe with him. Yes, the whole encounter had been unpleasant and embarrassing, no question, but not once had he reminded her of Thawne.

She held the mop tightly with both hands. Dr. Wells was still a bully and often an asshole. But he had driven her home once when he didn’t have to and he had _thanked_ her today. She didn’t like him, but today she really realized he wasn’t Thawne. He wasn’t a speedster, because then the evening would have been different. He worked hard to stop bad metas. She had no reason to believe that he was her enemy.

Caitlin sat down at Dr. Wells table to take a short break. Slowly she let her eyes wander and had to shake her head. This lab clearly belonged to him. No colour, but efficiently set up. Countless pieces of equipment and unfinished projects. Tools lying around. And was that a Big Belly Burger bag over there? She finished her break and continued until - except for the shelf - everything looked again as it should. Pleased with herself, Caitlin got her jacket and bag from her own little office and headed home.

On the tram she saw some people who were still on their way to clubs and bars. Caitlin put her headphones in her ears, turned on music, and stared out the window. Her phone was vibrating and she saw a new message from Veronica, who asked her again if she would want to meet them. Caitlin even took it into consideration this time. But then she thanked him and still refused. She got to her accommodation. It was really weird that she felt more at home in the lab than here. Caitlin hated the dingy walls. She opened the apartment offer she had last looked at. With her new salary, she would be able to afford the apartment. It had a good connection to public transport. Caitlin wrote an e-mail and asked for a viewing appointment. It was about time.

Cisco greeted her with a broad grin.

“Caity, you’re the highlight of my week, you know that, don’t you?”

“Is it so boring here?” she asked compassionately.

Her friend moaned theatrically.

“Oh, yes. They asked me everything you could ask. I think I even told them that I had a dog called Tucker as a kid.”

“What do you do all day?”

“Internet. Research. What else can I do? I even started stalking the family off my doppelganger. It’s really funny how many similarities, but also differences there are. Have you even thought about it again?

“About what?”

“About whether you want to get in touch with your doppelganger's mother. That would be interesting.”

Cisco had already asked her about it on her last visits.

“I don't think that's a good idea. Although she's back, I don't see the need for it. I rather think it would be difficult.”

“When we were just a week here, you didn’t hesitate so much.”

“Yeah, but now everything’s changed. I don’t need her help anymore. It would be an unnecessary burden for her. A strange woman comes and claims to be the doppelganger of her dead daughter? Doesn’t sound like fun and the possibility of research, Cisco.”

“You don’t know that. She’s also a scientist, remember that. Well, depending on how long we’re here, maybe you’ll change your mind.”

“Please don't say that.”

“Caitlin, Revibe hasn't done anything yet. So far, I didn’t get my powers back. I'm stuck here. And nobody knows for how long. You at least have a chance to try and live a little until we can go back.”

“Cisco…”

“I mean no offense, but instead of denying the situation, you should accept it. Otherwise, your stay will be a living hell.”

“I started looking for an apartment for us”, she explained and forced a half smile on her lips.

“Okay, that’s a good start. So, enough of these depressing things. How was your first week at work?"

Caitlin told him detailed about the work. Since he was stuck here anyway, she was sure it was okay for her to spit a few things out. She talked about her duties, the snail meta (Cisco shook his head at the name) and her new colleagues. All she said about Dr. Wells was that he was avoiding her and that he was pretty strict on all of them. She didn’t say anything about last night. She’d be uncomfortable telling Cisco about it.

Besides, it was between her and Dr. Wells. No, that was wrong. It wasn’t anything. She had done her job. Nor more no less. But it had been embarrassing. Oh god, how should she face him?

Caitlin made a detour and took a walk through the park. It was getting cold outside. They had early December and the streets, shops and houses of the city were decorated. The sight had made her flee into the green. She was far from the pre-Christmas mood. Cisco and his talk about accepting her situation… this Christmas would be the worst Christmas ever. Far away from family and friends. Even worse than the first Christmas without Ronnie, because now she was really alone.

**Harrison Wells**

The soap burned in his cuts, but he would only feel like himself again when he was thoroughly clean. Meanwhile, he decided that he would just pretend like it didn’t happen today. At least he should try. It wasn’t often that someone saw him half-naked and he had to be treated for something stupid like an accident in his own fucking lab. Harrison stepped out of the shower, carefully drying himself, and grabbed the ointment Miss Snow had given him. Great, and already his thoughts were back with her. Would this happen every time he took care of his cuts? He hoped not.

The next morning, he remembered his laboratory looked like a battlefield. They had no cleaners for the secret premises, which meant that he had to go back and clean up. He groaned at the thought of straining his irritated body, but Harrison had other things to do and he certainly didn’t have time to clean up on Monday. He could put Dr. Steen or Dr. Cooper on it, but then they would ask questions and he wanted to avoid them.

His daughter wasn’t back yet, so he had breakfast alone. He drank his coffee and checked his messages and e-mails. His new assistant had rescheduled a couple of appointments for the next week, fan mail from people who somehow got hold of his private email (if you could call it fan mail) and a new request for a guest lecture in star city. Then he drove to the lab to clean up.

A confused “What?” slipped out when he opened the door and saw that last night's mess had been cleaned up. Only the two boards were still lying on the floor. Irritated, he ran his fingers through his hair. That couldn't be? Or could it? He left his private laboratory and went to his office. As in his official laboratory and office above ground, he had surveillance cameras installed. Safety was his top priority.

Indeed. Surprised by the recordings, he watched as Miss Snow cleaned up the chaos while he had already been in the shower. Harrison didn’t know whether to be grateful or angry. He didn’t like it and even forbade anyone to enter his lab without his permission or presence. On the other hand, he now had less work to do and was able to concentrate on more important things than cleaning up. Besides, she hadn’t gone through his things, which he had feared at first. He scratched his chin thoughtfully. Miss Snow had stayed longer and cleaned up behind him. He shook his head. She’d rather not expect anything from him in return.

“What the hell, dad? What happened to your face?”, he was welcomed home by Jesse. She must have arrived shortly before him, as she was still holding her bag and wearing a jacket.

“I had a little accident.”

“You? An accident? Or did you fight with a bad guy?”

“What?” Harrison asked alarmed.

Jesse rolled her eyes in a typical teenager manner, dropped her bag on the floor, and folded her arms in front of her chest.

“You know, dad. You’re not really discreet when you make your ,secret` calls” she made air quotes on the word secret “Then you disappeared a few times late at night, and the last couple of weeks you’re in a worse mood than usual. More stressed than usual. Really, I feel sorry for the people who work with you. So, I’ve concluded that you’re leading a double life.” She shrugged “Now, please don’t try to convince me otherwise. There are enough lies between us, don’t you think?”

Well, shit.

He went over his options. But finally, he decided to tell Jesse the truth. Their relationship was already… strained. If he didn't confide in her a little bit, he didn't know how things would get better between them. Jesse was smart and unfortunately, she could tell when he was lying. She was also smart enough to know that some things had to remain secret. In that aspect he trusted his daughter

"I really had an accident-"

"Okay, I get it", Jesse interrupted him and disappointment resonated in her voice.

“No! Let me finish. I _was_ in an accident, but you’re right with your theory. Partly. Only I can tell you nothing more about it, you understand?”

She nodded and looked at the floor. That wasn’t the reaction he had hoped for. He had told the truth and not lied to her. Wasn’t that enough?

“Jesse…?”

He took one step towards her and as she backed off, he realized again how messed up their relationship had become. She used to tell him everything. Since the death of her mother, she had been completely closed up to him. Harrison got the impression that it had been a mistake of him to let her have her freedom. He had let her grieve in peace. Had it been the wrong way? Now it was mostly him who was avoiding unpleasant topics with his daughter.

Harrison just didn't know how to talk to her anymore. The situation just now was the best example. No matter what he said, nothing was right.

For a few seconds, they both remained silent. Jesse looked up from the floor.

“I'd rather be wrong. Do you have any idea how I feel? How I feel when I find out my father is risking his life?”

“I’m not risking my life, Jesse.”

“No matter what you do. When you’re fighting bad people, there’s always a risk that something will happen. Damn it, you don’t even have to have anything to do with this to get harmed!”

Harrison’s face fell. He was all too aware of the allusion.

“That’s right, dad. Mum had nothing to do with the explosion, and yet she had to pay for it! You on the other hand… A lot of mutated people hate you and it doesn’t make the whole situation any better if you start fighting them too!”

What she didn’t say was that it was his fault her mother was dead. Revibe had connected her to him and sent him through her a warning. Not many knew the truth. Officially, his ex-wife had died in a car accident.

“I can't do nothing anymore. I have to make amends for my mistakes”, he honestly said. Something he had never said out loud before.

“I know, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm not eager for you to follow mom to the grave!” Jesse reached for her bag and ran up the stairs. Shortly afterwards he heard her slamming her door.

Harrison buried the face in both hands. He screwed up, again. Maybe he shouldn’t open his mouth at all.

**Caitlin Snow**

Mondays were bad enough, but she was nervous today. Would Dr. Wells talk to her about Friday? Or would he continue to ignore her? What about the two cuts on his face? Surely, they would ask him, but, well, that was certainly not a problem for him. Behind his back would be whispered, but he didn’t give information about his private life. That included injuries. Even if the accident happened at work.

When she was nervous, she usually put more effort into her appearance in the hope that it would increase her self-confidence. Today she wore a black skirt with a tight beige blouse. Her hair was in her usual ponytail. Caitlin had a fondness for red lipsticks. She often used a bright tone, but even though she wanted to feel comfortable in her skin, she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. That wouldn’t help her nervousness.

So, she opted for a dark red that already turned into a brown shade. She looked in the mirror and put on a smile. Yes, she looked professional.

In the entrance hall of her accommodation was a plastic Christmas tree. The golden balls had dents. Caitlin was still waiting for the answer for a viewing appointment. She had decided she would move into her own apartment before Christmas. Then she could decorate for Christmas and the feast of love might not be so sad for her after all…

Caitlin entered S.T.A.R. labs. The large entrance hall had been decorated. She scanned her ID and took the elevator to the basement. It was known that Dr. Wells had private rooms for research purposes and had his own team. The other employees suspected it had something to do with projects for the government. Which wasn’t that far-fetched. Only the fact that they were producing weapons and means to combat criminal meta-beings remained a secret. Veronica had told her about this last week to explain the looks other scientists, she encountered while entering and leaving the lab, had gave her.

Veronica and Rob were already there when Caitlin arrived. Rob sniffed annoyed when Veronica ran to her and started talking excitedly.

“Slow down, please! I don’t understand a word!”, Caitlin laughed. She liked the woman and if she hadn't forsworn closer relationships, they could have become good friends.

“Do you remember when I told you there was an engineer coming this week? You know… For our own little prison, just in case.”

“Uh, yeah?", Caitlin replied confused.

“Dr. Wells just brought him here. They’re in his office right now, discussing something before he starts to work. I mean, it’s all very confidential around here.”

“Okay?”

“He’s hot”, Veronica sighed.

Rob approached them with folded arms and an arched eyebrow.

“You sound like you really need to get laid”, he buzzed.

Veronica slapped him playfully on the arm.

“You’re just jealous that I find him more attractive than you!”

Now Rob was grinning.

“Of course. If you must lie to yourself!”

Their banter was interrupted when the door of Dr. Wells' office opened. Caitlin blinked several times. Her neck became tight and she felt like suffocating. She would recognize that face anywhere. She had considered such an encounter, but it never occurred to her that it would happen right here. Panic swept through her body.

“I told you he was hot, right?” Veronica whispered to her. Caitlin's colleague misinterpreted her reaction completely.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she pushed out and quickly ran away, before she was being exposed to a direct encounter.

She needed mental preparation to cope with this situation. Tears were burning in her eyes and she splashed cold water on her face. A _lot_ of mental preparation. At that moment she wondered if she could ever talk to him without breaking into tears.

She knew that it wasn't _him_. She also had come to terms with his death, but it was still too much for her. To see another version of him _living_. 

Ronnie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Ronnie!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler: there is a revelation (or maybe two) and pizza in this chapter

**Harrison Wells**

The engineer made a good impression. They had gone over the plans, Harrison was confident the project would be completed in the next two months, and were just coming out of his office when he spotted one of his team members.

“Ah Miss Smith! Would you be so kind and get the others?”

“Of course, Dr. Wells”, she replied immediately. She smiled at the engineer and batted her eyelashes. Then she went off to comply with his summon. It wasn't long before they were all gathered. Mr. Walker, Dr. Steen, Dr. Cooper, Miss Smith and… Miss Snow. His gaze lingered on the latter longer than intended. She looked nervous and stared at the engineer as if he were a ghost.

Harrison remembered Miss Smith’s broad smile. He took a look at his newest employee. According to society’s standards, he could be described as attractive. Usually, Harrison didn’t pay attention to the attractiveness of his employees and didn’t care at all whether Miss Smith found her new colleague attractive or not, as long as, of course, everyone followed the rules. But Miss Snow’s undisturbed attention to the man annoyed him. In a manner he wasn’t entirely familiar with.

Harrison shook off the thought, focused his attention on the whole group, and cleared his throat.

“This is Mr. Raymond. He'll be working down here for the next two months, lest you wonder. It's best if everyone introduces themselves briefly”, he said and made a waving motion with his hand. The sooner this round of introductions was done and he could get back to work, the better.

“Veronica Smith. Nice to meet you!”

“I’m Rob. Just Rob”, said Mr. Walker, clearly annoyed by Miss Smiths enthusiasm.

“Dr. Leonard Cooper, but Leo is just fine. I hope Dr. Wells didn’t scare you with his grumpiness.” His voice was playful, but Harrison knew his employee spoke out of honesty. He rolled his eyes. Sometimes he wondered why he hadn’t fired Dr. Cooper yet. The man got on his nerves.

“Hello, my name is Dr. Maximilian Steen. Pleasure to meet you.”

“We call him just Max”, Dr. Cooper added.

Harrison looked at Miss Snow. She was the last who hadn’t introduced herself. Her hazel eyes were directed at Mr. Raymond, they were… shining? Or was he imagining things? Either way, she was taking to long with answering.

“Snow, how about today?”, Harrison barked harsher than intended. She winced. An apology was on his tongue, but, of course, he swallowed it.

“Sorry, Caitlin Snow.” She kind of stuttered the words. Then she smiled. It was a beautiful smile.

“Caitlin Snow”, repeated Mr. Raymond, returning the smile “So I assume it’s your season of the year?”

Really? Was he serious? Harrison looked suspiciously back and forth between Miss Snow and Mr. Raymond. 

“Well, winter has merits.”

A red coloring began to spread across her cheeks, and Harrison had had enough. Was he the only one to notice this strange tension? Miss Smith also seemed irritated, but he knew the look on her face. She was plotting something, he was sure. This woman was up to no good.

“Back to work!”, Harrison commanded, his words rough. He cleared his throat. It was too dry.

Harrison left the basement and made his way to his official office. He was unusually agitated. For the first time he wondered if he had made the right decision with the engineer. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed something. And what he had just seen hinted at drama. Not that he would dwell on something like that. Only… this team was important and he wanted everyone to be at their best. This excluded personal conflicts and complicated relationships. Well, relationships in general.

“Dr. Wells! There are a few more things that need to be sorted out for next week's Christmas party.” His assistant bombed him as soon as he set foot in the anteroom of his office.

“Yes, but quick. I have more important things to do.”

It was tradition to hold a private Christmas party for all employees two days before Christmas. A necessary evil Harrison would like to do without. He wasn’t a big fan of Christmas and parties. The two together were the purest horror. It wouldn’t be as bad if he wasn't expected to be present most of the time, putting up a good front.

And this year he was even less in the Christmas _spirit_. That was probably because Jesse wanted to spend Christmas with her grandparents. Her mother's parents.

 _“I don't want to spend Christmas depressed”_ had been her words.

He coming along was out of the question. Tess's parents had disliked him even before the divorce. And now that Tess wasn't around to calm the fronts, they had cut off contact completely. It was better that way. He was a little pissed that they had talked Jesse into spending all of Christmas with them and not just half, which would have been fair. Yet Jesse was also right. Harrison couldn't imagine a Christmas with just the two of them that would be even remotely peaceful.

Not how they stood with each other at the moment. He was a coward to avoid his own daughter. But he didn't want to make it worse. She should have a nice Christmas. And he could only guarantee that if they weren’t together for the holidays. Completely without dancing around open wounds and hurtful words.

“Dr. Wells?”

“Yes”

“As I was saying, the catering…”

**Caitlin Snow**

“Wells was a real asshole the way he snapped at you. But what could we expect? That he can appreciate a good-looking man as much as we do? Nah. And what happened to his face, anyway? Did you see those scratches?”

Catlin tried to keep her expression neutral. She _was_ angry with him. How could he do this to her? Was there no other engineer qualified for the job? Why did it have to be _Ronnie_ of all people? Was that his attempt to get her out of his team?

“Maybe he has a cat?”

Veronica laughed. “Good theory. I bet his cat hates his guts, and the scratches were revenge for not petting her. I mean, can you picture this stuck up man petting a cat?”

“Um… maybe he doesn’t have a cat after all.”

“Anyway, let's not go on about this old grumpy boss of ours. More importantly, what do you think of Ronnie?”

Caitlin choked on her own spit and had to cough a few times.

“What? Why?”

Veronica wiggled her eyebrows. “Come on. I saw the way you looked at each other. Now don't tell me you're not interested.”

“Veronica! He's a colleague!”

“Yeah, so? Only for two months. After that you have a free shot.”

“No. It’s not what you think!”

“Well then, tell me what it is.”

And that was the point when Caitlin cursed Dr. Wells again. She couldn’t tell the truth because she didn’t have the basis for it. Because Dr. Wells had decided to keep it a secret instead of letting the people, with whom she was supposed to work closely for a certain period of time, know about her origins.

_I’m actually from another Earth and there I was engaged to Ronnie, but unfortunately, he died two years ago. Oh, and by the way, that’s the fault of Dr. Wells' doppelganger (with the explosion, you know, which ended with the existence of the meta beings we are fighting), who is actually not the doppelganger, but a time traveller who killed the original Wells of my Earth._

Even in her head it sounded way too crazy.

“I… I was just wondering if I’d seen him anywhere before. He seems familiar to me.”

At least that wasn’t a complete lie. Damn, it was his fault that she was in such a shitty position.

“Yeah…” Veronica didn't sound convinced “Well, then you surely don't mind that I invited him to our lunch break.”

“Yes... that'll be nice”, Caitlin lied.

The lunch break was terrible. They hadn’t gone to jitters (Caitlin still had a slight panic that she would meet Iris and Barry somewhere. She wasn’t ready for that yet. Ronnie had totally run her over and that was enough) but to another cafe, which was also nearby. This Ronnie looked and talked like her Ronnie, but the longer Veronica engaged her new colleague in a conversation, the more obvious the differences in personality became. It was scary. Scarier than with Dr. Wells. After all, she had never met the original Dr. Wells on her Earth, only Thawne.

It was also a field of mine. She had to make sure she didn’t reveal herself. As soon as Veronica or this Ronnie got the idea to look for her on the Internet, they wouldn’t find anything. Worst case, they would find the obituary of her doppelganger.

Ronnie was a nice man. This version of him, too. Only Caitlin could not perceive him as an own person. She automatically compared him to her Ronnie. It seemed unfair, but she couldn't help it. It was almost as if she was sitting across from his missing twin. They looked the same, but they weren't really the same.

Caitlin had wondered, when she had allowed herself such thoughts, if she would have… feelings for Ronnie's doppelganger. That was not the case. She should give him a chance. Not the way Veronica thought she would, but maybe she could meet him on a friendly basis. And not totally freeze up like she was doing now when he addressed her.

Caitlin was relieved when the lunch break was over and they went back to work. She had finished the slime analysis and she wanted to talk to Leo about a possible change in consistency. Veronica and Rob were sent to a mission as support. Caitlin was also glad that Ronnie was working very far away from her. She wouldn't have known how to concentrate otherwise. It was already hard for her.

The more time passed, the angrier she became. She was just here, hadn't had a chance to prove herself yet, and already Dr. Wells was putting a big rock in her path. A pretty antisocial one. She had started to think he wasn't all that bad, but that action changed everything. What kind of person did such a thing? Caitlin was sure if she hadn't already come to terms with Ronnie's death, she would have completely broken down by now.

Caitlin stayed longer, but not for the reasons from last week. She would love to crawl into her bed. But she needed to talk to Dr. Wells. Anger boiled inside her. Also, she was outraged and hurt. Again, how could he do this to her? It was so… cruel. And after last Friday…

**Harrison Wells**

“Miss Snow?”

Harrison was surprised as he sat Miss Snow in his office. He became even more irritated when he sat down opposite her at his desk and saw her serious face. She had folded her arms in front of her chest.

“Oh please. Don’t act innocent like you didn’t expect me to come and talk to you.”

Harrison snorted annoyed.

“If this is about last Friday, I don't think we need to talk about anything.”

“Don't joke with me.”

Then what did she wanted to talk about? Maybe about the new engineer? There was nothing else he remembered, which had been a change.

“Is this about Mr. Raymond?”

“Yes!”

“I don't know what the problem is. You don’t have to work directly with him. And if you have a personal problem with each other, just avoid him.”

Miss Snow started laughing. A disbelieving laugh, as if he had tried to explain her the earth was flat and not round.

“Are you really trying to explain to me that you don’t know what the problem is? I knew you were insensitive, but you can’t be _that_ insensitive. Or are you just an ass?”

Caitlin pressed her lips together. Harrison could sense her anger over the air between them. And he started to get angry, too. Nobody talked to him in this way! And _nobody_ called him an ass!

“Miss Snow, if you keep talking to me like this, I have a reason to fire you.”

Caitlin didn’t look one bit shocked.

“What a surprise”, she said with a sarcastic undertone “after all, that’s what you meant to do!”

With every word she spoke he grew more confused. He propped himself up on the table, with his elbows, and studied her carefully.

“By hiring Mr. Raymond?”

“You are so disrespectful. I don't know what you get out of lying. Even though you put me in this situation, I'm not going to run away. Your opinion of me may not be high, but I’m not a coward.”

“Miss Snow, how about you calm down and tell me exactly what the problem is? I can’t read minds, even though I wish I could.”

This had the exact opposite effect. His words only seemed to agitate her more. She jumped up from her chair.

“Good, apparently you want to rub it in even more. Then I'll say it. You hired my fiancé's doppelganger to break me and force me to quit because you can't get rid of me any other way!”

Her fiancé? She was engaged on her Earth to Mr. Raymond? The puzzle was slowly coming together.

“Okay, I get that you miss your… fiancé, but-“

“But what?”

“You're not here forever. Of course, he could go on living his life without you, but-“

“You really have no idea.”

Caitlin slumped back in her chair. Her anger was blown away. She looked into his eyes and this time he was sure he saw tears.

He had preferred her anger towards him. Because now he felt like he was sitting across from a grieving woman. He couldn't handle grief at all. It was also suddenly a very intimate moment. What had gone on between her and Mr. Raymond to cause his doppelganger to have such an effect on her?

“You didn't read my file.”

“The file they sent me? I didn't think it was appropriate to poke around in your life since it was on another Earth anyway.”

But now he wished he had read her file. It might have prevented this situation.

“Ronnie was a part of the team that helped building the particle accelerator. He tried to stop the explosion and died in the process.”

Her revelation pulled the rug out from under him. Harrison closed his eyes as the old familiar feeling of guilt overcame him. It hadn't been him, but his doppelganger… his doppelganger, who he had never asked any questions about because he wanted to avoid such conversations, had been responsible for the death of Miss Snow's fiancé. And he had hired the doppelganger. Miss Snow had also been under the assumption that he had read her file and knew about it. Shit. 

“I’m sorry.”

**Caitlin Snow**

Caitlin had recognized the exact moment when Dr. Wells had understood everything. His remorse, which she didn’t expect him to. Even when he apologized, she had first thought that she hadn’t heard right. Above all, it wasn’t his fault. She was the one who assumed he had read her file.

“I’m sorry, too. I really thought you’d read my file and this was all planned.”

“Do you really think I could be that cruel?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Dr. Wells took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“What should I do? Do you want me to find a new engineer?”

“No! I don’t want that. At first, yes, it was hard. But my problem was that I thought you were using this to drive me away. Just like you said yourself. I can avoid him.”

He nodded slowly. Without the glasses, Caitlin noticed that he looked older and more stressed. Of course, he was stressed. After all, he ran S.T.A.R. labs and this team. And that he was older than her, was nothing new, but until now she had never seen it as much as she did now.

“I don't think I can get anything done after… well, you know.” Dr. Wells put his glasses back on and rummaged in his drawer. Then he pulled out the menu card of a pizzeria.

“I'm ordering a pizza. You want one?”

She hadn't eaten since the lunch break, waiting for him to come back. A pizza sounded really good, but she hesitated. Then again… it couldn't get weirder than Friday.

“I’m starving. Can I look?”

He handed her the card, their fingers touching. She quickly focused on the menu. Something with ham or salami? Or vegetables? Definitely with lots of cheese.

“This one is good. If you like cheese”, Dr. Wells recommended.

Could he read minds after all, or had she been talking out loud?

“I love cheese. Then I'll try these. But if I don't like it, I'll have to eat your pizza!”

“That wouldn't do you much good since I'm ordering the same pizza”, he said and grinned.

It was such a rarity that he didn't pull a serious face for once that she grinned back. He ordered the pizza. Then they left his office and took the elevator to the ground floor. The first time they had ridden in an elevator together seemed ages ago. Much had changed in that time. Dr. Wells was still often an idiot, but he no longer reminded her of Thawne, and today he had proved once more that she could trust him.

“I sent you through an emotional ordeal today, so I can at least buy you a pizza”, he explained when he was paying the pizza boy for both of them. They sat down in one of the rooms. The smell of oily pizza poured into Caitlin’s nose and her stomach growled. He didn’t promise too much. It was a very cheesy pizza. Not necessarily easy to eat, but super tasty. Cheese thread stretched out and quickly got caught in the face. They both had to laugh several times because they looked so funny eating the pizza.

“Really, how did you do that? No, not like that, wait!”

Dr. Wells had sauce on his cheek, and instead of wiping it away, he smeared it all over his face. Caitlin had to be careful not to laugh out loud, but it was just too funny that the serious Dr. Wells had tomato sauce on his face and was too incompetent to remove it without a mirror.

She took a handkerchief out of her bag. He was sitting right next to her and she just had to lean forward a little to reach his face. Until the moment the handkerchief touched his skin, she had expected him to turn his head away. The greater was her surprise that he really let her help him. After all, this time it wasn’t cut wounds, but tomato sauce. And other than looking funny, the sauce wasn’t dangerous.

A second time within a few days, she was close to his face. The smell of pizza was strong, but she was close enough she could smell _him_. She didn’t get so… dizzy the last time.

She cleaned his face thoroughly and realized she was prolonging it unnecessarily. Only when he took her by the wrist she stopped. When had her heart started beating so fast?

“Snow”, he growled, his deep voice sent heat through her body. Until now she had avoided his gaze, but now she looked into his blue eyes. His thumb stroked over her pulse, his grip on her wrist remained firm, and her breath caught in her throat.

“That’s enough.”

However, none of them moved. The atmosphere between them, which had been relaxed until a few minutes ago, had completely changed. Caitlin’s senses were sharpened. The air between them was electrically charged. That couldn't be imagination. Neither the fact that his gaze flicked to her lips. 

Caitlin bit her lower lip. Dr. Wells closed his eyes and... and let go of her wrist. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her. She turned away from him and bit in the last piece of her pizza. He got up and started cleaning up. When she finished eating, he cleared his throat.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Snow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;-)
> 
> So, the next chapter will be thematically related to Christmas. Hopefully I'll be able to write it in time


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the Christmas chapter! At first it was planned as a small special, but it got a little out of control. Now it's completely integrated into the story!

**Caitlin Snow**

The apartment was partially furnished, but there were still many bald spots. Either way, it was a significant improvement and she immediately felt more comfortable. She had a bed, a couch, a table, two chairs, a kitchen, a small bathroom and even her own washing machine.

Only a few days until it was Christmas and Caitlin debated whether to decorate or not. She wasn't really in the mood, but ignoring the festival entirely wasn't what she wanted. After some thought, she decided to decorate at least a little. There was a whole shopping street near her new apartment, and there she had spotted a decoration store. Wrapped in a thick jacket and a fluffy scarf, she set off.

The shops were all decorated for Christmas, a group of people cavorted around musicians playing the most popular Christmas hits, and in the air lingered the smell of baked apples, cinnamon and chocolate from a food stand. Caitlin wasn't entirely immune to the festive mood, which was spreading all over the square and through the streets. She let her mind wander and almost expected Iris and Barry to turn around and suddenly stand in front of her. They both would have a hot chocolate in their hands. Cisco would be standing in line to get a baked apple for her and himself. Sadly, it was just her imagination. In reality, Cisco was in the secret facility and Iris and Barry weren't on this Earth. Caitlin's smile faded. So many people were out with their families and friends. It just made it clearer how lonely she was.

Caitlin stopped in front of the shop. Colorful lights, snowmen, Santa Clauses, gingerbread men, small artificial Christmas trees, false snow… She took a deep breath and opened the door. For some reason it smelled like sugar in here.

She bought a small artificial Christmas tree. In addition, gold and red balls, a garland and a gold star for the tip. Then she stopped in front of the shelf with candles. Her mother had never allowed scented candles because they gave her a headache. Some people even vomited from them. But Caitlin loved those candles. Especially in the cold season. There were many different scents. Some especially for Christmas. Caitlin tested the smell on every candle. Some were too strong, others too weak. Finally, she decided on a mixture of firewood, apple and cinnamon. The scent wasn't too intrusive.

She dragged her shopping bag back to her apartment. Then, she lit the candle straight away and it didn't take long before her pleasant scent was in the air. Christmas music was played on the radio, she had no own Cd's, so she didn't have to connect her phone to stream the music. Before she could change her mind, she unpacked the rest of the new things and began to decorate the little Christmas tree, humming to the music.

Slowly it felt more like Christmas to her.

The dress was a dark green, pretty close to the color of a fir tree. In addition, she combined silver pumps, a silver handbag and a matching silver glittering lipstick. She had found the dress and handbag in a second-hand shop and the items were as good as new.

She would have fun today. No negative thoughts. Her phone showed a new message. One last time, she checked her lipstick and if she had packed everything. After that, she left her apartment, locked the door, and hurled down the stairs. A small pink car stood in front of the door. Veronica sat behind the wheel and waved to her, obviously excited. Caitlin smiled and got in on the passenger side.

“So? Are you ready? Tonight, we’re going to have fun!”

“It’s still a Christmas party at _work_ , don’t forget that!”

“That’ll make it more fun! It’s just a shame we hardly know any of the regular employees at the labs. When somebody’s puking later I will have to ask for the name so I can follow the gossip”, explained Veronica and started the engine. She was wearing a short black dress and sneakers, which she would probably trade for pumps later. Her eyes were also darkly made up. Only her lips glowed a bright pink that rivalled her car.

“I really hope they don't play boring Christmas music. You can't really dance to that.”

“But it's Christmas.” Caitlin remembered the old Christmases. Before the S.T.A.R. labs of their Earth had disintegrated “Could be that they play normal Christmas music in the beginning and later party music.”

“Yeah maybe… and hopefully. I don't see myself dancing to White Christmas!”

“You like dancing?”

“I _love_ dancing! And while you might think Dr. Wells is an old curmudgeon, the selection of snacks and alcohol, especially alcohol, is said to be _exquisite_. We could get drunk and do a lot of stupid stuff”, Veronica giggled, her eyes shone madly. What did this woman have planned for today?

“I really don’t want to burst your bubble, but you remember this is an event from work? Getting drunk and doing stupid things is not the best idea.”

“If you say so”, answered Veronica and shrugged “but you know scientists. A whole bunch of them won’t be good company unless they have at least some alcohol in their blood. Also, I would find it rude if we didn't test every type of alcohol."

“And every type of the snacks?”

“Absolutely not. Then I'd be the one to throw up! I like gossip and rumors, but that doesn't apply to the contents of _my stomach_.”

Veronica made a face in disgust. Yeah, it was pretty clear what her colleague's priorities were.

“By the way, you’re looking smoking hot today. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Thank you and no?”

“You sure? No one you want to impress tonight?”

“I just like to dress appropriately for such occasions.”

“Or for Ronnie?”

Caitlin gave her colleague an irritated look.

“I’ll tell you a secret: Ronnie told me he’s going to ask you to dance today!”

Caitlin got pale.

“Really? How did you even come up with the topic?”

“It’s simple, I asked him if he wanted to go on a date with me. Let’s put it this way. You wouldn’t share him.”

“I barely talked to him!”

“He still thinks you're nicer than me. Don't worry, I don’t take it personally. But you could give him a chance. Have a little fun.”

“I don’t know…”

Her stomach turned at the thought of dancing with him. She wanted to spend this evening without negative feelings. That meant no memories. And with Ronnie, it was inevitable.

“Oh, come on. What’s to lose? He looks good and makes a nice impression. I'm not saying you should jump into bed with him right away. A dance. A chance. And then if you say you're not interested… then I accept that, okay?”

“You’re a matchmaker.”

“Well it’s Christmas. The celebration of love! So?”

“There’s still a rule against intimate relationships between colleagues.”

Veronica stopped at a red light and took the opportunity to look at her with raised eyebrows.

“We both know that's just an excuse. Where there's a will, there's a way. And in three months, it won't matter anyway. What's holding you back? Do you have a boyfriend I don't know about?”

“No, but-“

“You like someone else!”, exclaimed Veronica and grinned.

At first Caitlin wanted to say no, but… well it would be a good excuse. Her silence seemed to be enough of an answer for her colleague.

“Oh my god! You have a crush! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We know each other for like two weeks.”

Veronica pulled out her lower lip.

“You’re mean, I thought we were already friends!”

Caitlin could tell by her voice that she didn't meant her hurt, but the part with the friend…

Actually, under no circumstances, did she want to develop a friendship with anyone, but with Veronica she seemed to slip into it automatically. Her attempts at matchmaking and her high curiosity were a bit annoying at times, but she was funny and friendly too.

“It's nothing serious.”

“Oh, you can still dance with Ronnie. But who's your crush? No one from the lab, right? We both know how seriously you take Dr. Wells' boring rules.” She laughed.

Caitlin blushed at his name, and Veronica, who had glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, of course interpreted it directly.

“It's someone from the lab! Caitlin… really, shame on you! Who’s the guy? Or is it a woman? Sorry, I never asked if-”

“No, I like men, but your wrong. It’s nobody from the lab.”

“You’re not a good liar, girl.”

Caitlin groaned frustrated. Veronica never gave up. By now, they were already in the parking lot. Oh, great. Now her colleague thought there was someone she was into. All she wanted was for her to stop talking about Ronnie!

“Don’t make that face. Remember: we’re going to have fun. Drinking and dancing. Oh, and you _totally_ will dance with Ronnie. Firstly, you really should give him a chance. And secondly, a side benefit could be making your crush jealous!”

“No. Where were you staying the night again so we could drive with your car?”

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell. Now hurry up!” Veronica jumped out of the car.

“That’s not fair”, mumbled Caitlin under her breath. But that was the least of her worries.

**Harrison Wells**

The hall slowly filled with people, his employees, fellow scientists, brilliant minds, all in a bunch. Although it had been a while since S.T.A.R. labs was founded, it was still strange to see over how many people he had some sort of power. If he failed, these people would lose their jobs. Harrison sipped his martini. He was sitting in the very back, in a corner. Every once in a while, someone would approach him, but most of his employees had been around long enough to know that Christmas parties weren't his thing (at least since the last five years he'd been divorced). His assistant had declared himself DJ, as he had the last two years. At the moment, the Christmas classics were running up and down. But none of the quiet ones.

He would sit here drinking for so long, without alcohol it was barely bearable, until it was appropriate for him to go home. Thus, he had some alcohol in his blood already , and that’s why he allowed himself to check up Miss Snow when she arrived with Miss Smith. A green dress with a tight top that fluttered at the legs with every movement. But it was her silver shining lips that captivated him. They reminded him that, for a second, he had thought about kissing her. Snow. The woman from the other Earth who was nothing but trouble. His newest employee. Harrison downed his drink.

**Caitlin Snow**

“This looks more like a gathering than a party”, Veronica noted as they entered the hall. It was festively decorated and made in combination with the music a cozy atmosphere. The opposite of the wild dance party her colleague imagined.

“I think it’s really nice.”

“You mean boring. Let’s go find Rob and the others.”

They both scanned the hall for the familiar faces.

“Aha! There’s Leo!”

“Where?”, Caitlin asked and tried to follow Veronicas gaze.

“By the snacks.” She grabbed Caitlin's hand and together they meandered through the people. Leo was wearing a Christmas hat, and was stuffing a skewer of cheese into his mouth. When he saw them coming, he raised a finger and reached into his bag. He pressed a Christmas hat into each of their hands. Veronica laughed out loud and put the red hat right on. Caitlin shook her head, also laughing, and then draped the Christmas hat on her head as well.

“Thanks Leo! You're a genius! Now everyone knows we belong together. How many got you?”

“Two. For Rob and Ronnie. Max didn't want to come. I'm telling you. This guy is the living version of the Grinch.”

“If anyone we know is the Grinch, it's probably our boss. He's not even at his own Christmas party”, Veronica criticised, shaking her head disapprovingly.

“Dr. Wells is here, but I think he's made it a point to stay hidden in the crowd. I just saw him at the bar for a moment”, said Rob suddenly from behind. He and Ronnie joined them. Promptly, they also got their Christmas hats.

“We’d better grab one of the standing tables. Follow me!”, shouted Leo. His good mood was contagious. He even blew away Veronica’s disappointment that no one was dancing. Their group got the last table near the bar. The location was clearly intentional. Veronica and Rob went straight to get drinks.

Ronnie and Leo started talking about a game, Caitlin hadn't noticed what kind of sport. She let the music wash over her, the many voices, the laughter. The evening was still early. As soon as Veronica and Rob came back with the drinks they all raised their glasses.

“We haven't been working together for long, so to a happy holiday and good work together!”, Rob said and they all toasted. After that, they fell into pleasant conversation, led mostly by Leo and Veronica. The two were a perfect duo if you didn't want to get out of laughing.

“I’ll grab some food.”

“I’ll come with you and help.” Ronnie followed her.

“These are just the small snacks, there’s a whole buffet in the back with more choice.”

“Oh. Where?”

This time, she was the one who followed him. And she walked right into a well-planned trap. The buffet was in a second room and above the entrance was a mistletoe, under which they were now both standing.

“You planned this, didn’t you?”, Caitlin said, trying to play her nervousness down.

“A beautiful tradition, don’t you think?”

“Well, tradition is tradition.” Caitlin leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. At the last moment, Ronnie turned his head and her mouth landed on his lips. It was a short kiss. As innocent as a kiss could be.

But Ronnie grinned at her. “So, what do you want to eat?”

**Harrison Wells**

Before he drank more, he should eat something. His assistant hadn't put on the party music yet and he was already well into it. He had never drunk beyond his thirst before on such an occasion, but today he was on the verge of just kicking the bucket. Fortunately, his brain cells reminded him he had an image to maintain. Therefore, he made his way to the buffet. That was when he saw Miss Snow and Mr. Raymond standing under the mistletoe. Miss Snow had her back to him, and so he saw her kiss Mr. Raymond. The latter grinned all over his face afterwards. Suddenly Harrison had lost all appetite. He waited until they were done before grabbing something to eat. Maybe he would drink more than was good after all.

**Caitlin Snow**

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

It didn’t feel at all like a kiss was supposed to feel. Just… wrong. They had been lips that she knew and that were strange to her at the same time. This confirmed what she had already known. Ronnie wasn’t _Ronnie_. Shortly after their kiss, music was played for dancing. Veronica screamed happily and dragged Caitlin to the dance floor. They moved to the music, with the tops of their Christmas hats swinging back and forth, up and down. It was fun and soon Caitlin had pushed the mistletoe kiss aside. After all, she wanted to enjoy herself today.

**Harrison Wells**

Harrison couldn't help but watch her. The hat was ridiculous, but he couldn't deny that it looked cute on her. For the first time, she really seemed to be having fun. Had the kiss been that good?

He gritted his teeth. Why did her actions make him so angry? It didn't matter who she kissed. That was none of his business. Wait. Yes, it was his business. If she was involved with Mr. Raymond, she was breaking the rules! And on top of that, maybe he felt a little cheated. After all, he had advised her to stay away from Mr. Raymond. Why didn't she seem to care? Had she changed her mind and wanted to try again with her late fiancé's doppelganger?

His assistant put on a quieter song. Especially for his employees, who brought their partners. Harrison saw Mr. Raymond earlier coming than Miss Snow. She froze for a moment and then nodded. Restless, he tossed his foot on the floor. The grip around his glass strengthened and he put it down. He was a bit light-headed, he couldn’t explain his reaction otherwise. It was unusual for him to react that way when Miss Snow danced with a man. Okay, it wasn’t just any man. Maybe that was the problem.

When he saw his new engineer's hands land on her ass, he'd had enough. He stood up and walked over to his assistant. "Make the lights dimmer in two minutes," he ordered.

Dancing couples dodged him at the last moment as he walked toward Miss Snow. The light grew dim, and under the cover of darkness he laid a hand on Mr. Raymond's shoulder.

“My turn.”

He felt the engineer stiffen under his touch, but Miss Snow agreed. Harrison felt triumph as Mr. Raymond left. Then, he took Miss Snow's hands in his and drew her close to his body.

**Caitlin Snow**

At first it was nice to dance with Ronnie, but after a while he had become too intrusive. She couldn’t remember her Ronnie ever being like that to her. Or did she just feel differently? When his hand landed clearly too low for her taste, she was on the verge of fleeing. The sudden lack of light would have made everything easier, but then _he_ came to her rescue. Caitlin recognized Dr. Well’s voice immediately. Did he come to remind her of the rules? No, that would imply he had watched her dancing. Well, she didn’t care, because it was clear to her that dancing with Dr. Wells shouldn’t be as unpleasant as her situation with Ronnie right now.

His grip around her hip was tight. His hands were warm. She had escaped the dance with Ronnie, and it took a few seconds for her to register that she was actually dancing with Dr. Wells. None of them spoke a word. Their bodies were closer together than her and Ronnie’s before, but where it had been uncomfortable with Ronnie, it felt comfortable with _him_. Oddly right. It was like she belonged right here. In his arms. God, how much had she had to drink?

No, she felt quite sober again. With each cell, she felt his closeness.

“I saw you kissing him”, he said after a long time of them just dancing, the song had changed twice by now. His voice was raspy and she was pretty sure he had been drinking too.

“You mean under the mistletoe?”

His hand flexed at her hip.

“Yes. I assume traditions are important to you?”

“Yes”, she simply answered.

“You would’ve kissed anyone? A woman, an unattractive man…”

He made a pause and cleared his throat.

“…Even me?”

A bit air escaped from her throat. She searched his eyes in the dark.

“Even you.”

His hand wandered from her hip up and down her back. Goose bumps formed on her arms. His touch threw hot shivers through her body.

“Do you like traditions?” Caitlin had to distract herself from what his proximity was doing to her. Of course, she could break away and escape, as she had planned to do with Ronnie, but it was simple: she didn’t want to.

“Not necessarily. For the mistletoe, for example, you should have some romance in you. There are many mentions in history. The custom became popular thanks to the novels of the Victorian period. The main characters, who were of course bound by the etiquette of the time and the strict rules of conduct, were allowed to kiss under the mistletoe exceptionally.”

“Was that your way of saying you don't have romance in you?”

He didn’t answer, but changed the subject. His hand found its firm place on her hip again.

“You don’t seem to be avoiding Mr. Raymond.”

Caitlin huffed.

“What are you implying? It’s not easy to avoid each other when you’re working together and are at a party with fellow workers.”

“The kiss can be traced back to your love for traditions and customs. But why did you dance with him?”

“Maybe because I wanted to?”

That wasn’t exactly the truth, Veronica kind of forced her, but his questioning upset her.

“It didn’t look like you’d have much fun with him.”

“And how do you could possibly know that?”

“I watched you. Wasn’t hard to miss.”

Caitlin opened her mouth. Did he just say that? With the hand, which had been laying on his shoulder, she took his face. He stopped in the middle of the movement. The people around them continued to dance, but they stopped, as if frozen in their position.

“How much did you drink?”, she asked, barely loud enough for him to hear.

“More than I should have.”

“I see.”

Caitlin snatched away from him. She needed fresh air.

**Harrison Wells**

One moment her warm body was still nestled against him, the next she was gone faster than he could blink. Had he said something wrong? Harrison left the dance floor, signaled his assistant to make the lights brighter again, and sat back down in his seat. He searched the hall for Miss Snow, but there was no sign of her. The heat, which was given off by the many people, became too much for him. He had to get out of here.

He didn't get far, as he spotted Miss Snow. She stood leaning against a wall, her eyes closed. There was no one but them. He wondered if he should say something or just keep walking. She took the decision from him, noticing his presence.

“Did you follow me?”

“I need some fresh air.”

“Okay”, she just said and ignored him.

Confused, Harrison tilted his head.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Miss Snow sighed and crossed her arms. Her face was slightly flushed. She had probably gotten too hot in there too.

“Why did you dance with me?”

“Why does it matter?”

Miss Snow groaned, a sound that didn’t leave him cold.

“Do you have a problem with understanding some things in general or is it because you drank more than is good for you?”

“No need to get insulting. And I’m not drunk.”

Her eyes searched his face. What was she looking for? Any evidence that he was stoned to the ground? Then, her brow furrowed.

“If you're not drunk… why did you dance with me?”

Normally, he wasn’t someone who delayed an answer. But he had to know the answer himself. _Why did he dance with Miss Snow?_ Because of Mr. Raymond? Or… just because he wanted to dance with her? A terrifying thought.

“I didn't think you really wanted to dance with him. Because of the circumstances”, he said. The answer made sense, but it didn't seem enough for Miss Snow.

“Makes me wonder why you even noticed. Do you always do this? Watching your employees and intervening when you don't like something? Doesn't sound like a relaxed atmosphere for a _Christmas party_!”

Her words sounded as if he had begun a crime. His patience was at an end. Her behavior didn’t make sense to him. Why didn’t she just say what her problem was?

“I thought it was the right thing to do, but apparently I was wrong. My apologies.”

Harrison went until he reached the door outside. Cold wind hit him in the face and he was breathing heavily. He greedily sucked in the fresh air.

**Caitlin Snow**

Unbelievable!

He just left. Their dance together had been intense, but when he mentioned the alcohol, it had shaken her. Dancing with her was something a sober Dr. Wells wouldn’t do. That’s what she assumed. But now she had realized that he was still able to think clearly.

His reasons were unclear. Caitlin wanted to know why he’d danced with her if it wasn’t the booze. Was it really about Ronnie? No, then they wouldn’t have danced so long. And not in the way they did. Was she misinterpreting something? Was she wrong in assuming that he danced with her because he _wanted_ to?

She should go back to her colleagues. That would be the right thing. But she remembered their pizza night again. There had been the same tension between them and if she was honest with herself, the tension had been there for a while. Maybe since the first time they met. He drove her crazy, and she was sure she drove him crazy, too. She needed answers. The situation between them didn’t make her life any easier and there were things she needed to focus on.

Later, she would blame it on the fact she had been drinking as well. Not enough to be drunk, but enough to do things she wouldn't normally do.

It was cold outside, but she was heated inside and didn’t mind. It was also dark, so she needed some time to find him in his black suit.

“You wanted to dance with me!”

“You followed me”, he replied surprised.

“Did you understand what I said?”

He nodded slowly. She walked towards him until she stood right in front of him. With her pumps, they were almost at eye level.

“We need to clarify what this is between us”, demanded Caitlin, gesturing between the two of them. Dr. Wells gave a short laugh.

“What the hell are you talking about?” He said in his special boss voice that he mostly used towards Leo.

Caitlin's blood boiled.

“ _You are such an idiot”,_ she hissed, grabbed his face in both hands and kissed him. At first, he froze, but when she tried to end the kiss, he responded. Forcefully. His hands grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to him, so that she was completely pressed against his body. Her hands reached into his hair, which was as soft under her fingertips as she remembered.

Their lips battled each other, trying to gain the upper hand. Her hat slipped off her head and fell to the ground.

It wasn't a gentle, romantic kiss. The kiss was defined by two mouths that had yet to get to know each other. But neither of them was willing to allow the other to get into a rhythm. Caitlin pulled at his hair. She kissed him as if it wasn’t only the first time, but the last. Desperate.

He didn't hold back, but surprised her with his own intensity. This heat wasn't anything she'd expected behind his mostly aloof and cool demeanor. They feasted on each other. She didn't complain.

What outweighed? Anger or lust?

He walked her backwards to a nearby wall.

Caitlin clung to his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his body. His hands supported her lower body so she wouldn't slide down the wall. It was uncomfortable, the hard stone on her back, but she accepted the price for his hot kisses.

She gasped as she felt his arousal between her legs. For a moment, they both tried to catch their breaths.

“Tell me again it’s nothing.”

“Snow, It’s nothing”

But his deep, still breathless voice implied the exact opposite. He kissed her again. This time deep and slow. Lazily stroking her ass. A second dance tonight. This time between their mouths, finally allowing themselves a common rhythm. Later between their tongues, which carefully explored the new territory.

It was true that you could forget time with kissing. Her lips were burning and swollen. She didn’t waste any thoughts on her smeared lipstick. Caitlin was too busy with fighting against the urge to grind against his lower body.

**Harrison Wells**

He didn’t know what was happening to him.

She didn’t like him.

He didn’t like her.

So why were they kissing?

And most importantly: why was he enjoying it?

It was a miracle that he could still think with the taste of her sweet lips on his tongue. Her eyelids were half closed. Harrison closed his eyes completely. Just one more minute. It was just a kiss. A one-time thing. Well, more than one kiss. There were so many, short and long, that it was impossible to count. But he didn’t want to think. He had time to regret their actions later.

Now, he just wanted to never let her go again.

She twisted her hips and a moan escaped him. They played a dangerous game. Oh so sweet and dangerous. His lips went to her neck and he sucked. The high-pitched sound coming from her mouth did _things_ to him. With his tongue he licked her sensitive skin, directly behind the ear. Her grip on his shoulders tightened. Followed by her legs, which also increased their pressure on his body. Harrisons groin was pressed against her abdomen. She was wearing only a dress and it had slipped up by now.

His arousal was painful and it took everything in his willpower to keep still. It was enough that her circling hips teased him.

“We have to stop”, mumbled Miss Snow with a shaky voice. She looked him in the eyes. A heated gaze which didn’t match her words.

But she was right. He kissed her one more time, slow and lingering with a last tug at her lower lip, before he put her down gently. Her hair was messed up and she had lost her hat. Little was left of her lipstick. Her cheeks were red, her lips swollen. He never thought he’d be fascinated by the sight of her flustered face.

He took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his mouth, which most likely had silver remnants of her lipstick on it. Then, he bended down to pick up her hat. Miss Snow ran her fingers through her hair and put it back on. For a few seconds they stared at each other.

“Go back and have fun. I was going to call a cab home.”

She hesitated. One consideration was clearly in the air between them.

“It was…”

“Nothing”, she finished his sentence and went back inside. He watched her go. Her absence left him cold and lonely.

**Caitlin Snow**

She was confused. What happened? It felt unreal. She went straight to the ladies' room to reapply her lipstick. Slowly the adrenaline disappeared and reality came back.

“What did I do?”, she asked her reflection, which of course didn’t give an answer. Well, it was already in her head. She had _kissed_ Dr. Harrison Wells. Her boss. A man who wielded a lot of power over her life right now. And kissing was an understatement.

“Oh shit!”

“Where have you been? For half an hour!” Veronica greeted her as she returned to her colleagues' table. Ronnie wasn’t there.

“I was dancing. And then I was getting some air.”

“Alone? You look…”

“I know”, she said, tired of lying “Where is Ronnie?”

“He went home. After he told us a stranger snatched you away from him.” Veronica giggled and nipped at her drink. She was a bit drunk. Caitlin relaxed. A stranger. Good. Ronnie didn’t recognize Dr. Wells.

“But!” Her colleague grinned “He wasn’t a stranger to you, or Ronnie would never have left you alone with him. I was right! You have a secret crush among all S.T.A.R. labs employees!”

“Our Caity has a crush?” Leo, who until now had only listened, got involved.

“She’s smart and pretty. Of course, men are interested in her”, said Rob.

“And what about me?”, asked Veronica and batted her eyelashes at Rob.

“Yeah. You’re pretty, too. Happy?”

Veronica kissed him on the cheek and they all laughed. 

Caitlin picked up her bag, which she had left by her table. The others tried to persuade her to stay longer, but she explained that she was tired. She wished everyone happy holidays (provided they wouldn't be needed because of an emergency) and left. Automatically, she looked to the wall where they had kissed not too long ago. Her head was turning red. What if someone had caught them!

The cab picked her up. Many thoughts ran through her head during the ride and she didn't even notice how quickly the time passed. Arriving at her apartment, she first turned on the heating. Then she fetched a glass of cold water from the kitchen. There was a tingling under her skin. The evening had been exhausting, but she wasn't convinced she would sleep well this night.

Her whole body remembered him. With her fingertips she brushed over her swollen lips. They still burned a little. Her proof that she hadn't imagined it all.

She needed to distract herself. After drinking the glass of water, she made herself hot cocoa. Turned on the lights on her Christmas tree and some music. Caitlin sat down on her sofa, snuggled in a blanket, and reached for the book she had borrowed from the library.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little christmas spirit, a bit of dancing and kissing... and lots of confused feelings!  
> It wasn't an innocent first kiss because I'm too dirty minded for that :P 
> 
> I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you next year!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello new year!

**Harrison Wells**

He was in trouble.

Whereas falling and being in love was a beautiful thing, falling out of love truly weren't. Unlike him, Tess had no trouble with dating and new relationships. She even had a partner for two years. A nice craftsman, very different from Tess and him. Harrison missed her. Not in the romantic sense, but as a friend. To this day, her parents didn't believe they had parted in good terms. Even though it had been obvious. He should probably consider himself lucky they had both fallen out of love. Slowly but steady. They both had worked a lot. Tess had been even more ambitious than he was, as if she had to prove something. Of course, it had hurt when they broke up and started going their separate ways, but Harrison knew it had been Jesse who suffered the most. Still was. Harrison and Tess couldn't be blamed for the fact their feelings had changed. _But_ he was responsible for the death of his ex-wife.

His mind should be about Revibe and his plans. It had been a long time since they had heard from him and Harrison suspected something bad. It was the beginning of a new year. Full of plans for the future of his company and his team. The days around New Year's Eve had passed peacefully between him and Jesse and he had hope that this year would be better.

Yet Miss Snow plagued him day and night. He had avoided her until now, which had worked well since, fortunately, it had been quieter around the holidays. What had happened between them at the Christmas party had been a huge mistake. He could blame it on being lonely and alcohol, but that would be a lie. Harrison wanted her. It was frightening, the wrong time and, actually, the wrongest woman he should develop want or some kind of feelings for. There were women here and there whom he found quite nice, but no one haunted his mind like Miss Snow. And only she had managed to make him behave impossibly at his own Christmas party. Worse, she hadn't rejected him. On the contrary, she kissed him first and started it.

Memories of things he clearly shouldn't know about his employee floated in his head. The feeling of her soft lips. Her hands in his hair. Their bodies pressed together, her legs around his waist…

Really, how did that even happen? It wasn't like him to lust after a woman that badly. Was it because the danger of a real relationship wasn't there?

He didn't have to worry about her having different ideas about the future than he did, since she was a lot younger. Or that Jesse maybe would dislike her or have a problem with a relationship between them. She would return to her Earth at some point, and most likely never come back.

But that didn't matter, as it had been a once-in-a-lifetime moment between them. She was still his employee, had more important concerns just like him, and at the end there was a chance she hated him for what had happened.

Harrison was in trouble, because it wasn't the first time he was thinking this line of thoughts.

He got a phone call, the new information made his face falter. Now he had no choice but to confront her.

He was putting on his shoes when Jesse, already in her pink pajamas, came down the stairs.

“Where are you going?”

“To the lab”, he lied.

“On a Saturday night?”

“Yes.”

His daughter looked him up and down. Then she grinned, which confused him.

“What?”

“You’re going to the lab in your best jeans and your favorite shirt?”

“I don’t know what you’re implying.”

“Oh, come on, dad. When you go to the lab by yourself at night, you don’t dress so… _fancy!”_

“What's wrong. I just like these clothes.”

“Huh. You can feel free to tell me when you're meeting up with friends… or having a date”, said Jesse, crossing her arms. He expected her to glare at him, often a sign that her words couldn't be taken entirely seriously, but instead the strange smirk remained on her face. As if the thought of him dating didn't bother her.

His face gave his thoughts away. Jesse dropped her arms, the grin disappeared from her face.

“You haven’t had a real date since I’ve been living here, if I didn’t miss something. That’s over two years.”

“Jesse…” Harrison sighed. It wasn’t the right time to talk to his daughter about his lack of a love life. Shit, it was a discussion he didn’t want at all!

“No. I want to know if this has anything to do with me. Am I in the way? We never talked about it, but I’ve been wondering for a while. You know, mom-“

“You’re _not_ in the way, and you’ll never be. How could you even think that?”

“I don’t know. Mom’s been out a lot, and that’s why it’s weird that you’re the exact opposite.” She shrugged.

“Is it a good or a bad thing?”

“Neither, but you’re always unhappy and maybe that would help. I mean… to meet someone.”

His mouth opened. He was always unhappy?

“I’m not always unhappy, am I?”

“Mostly. Maybe not unhappy, but not happy either.”

“And you think a woman would make me happy?”

“I don’t know! I never had a boyfriend…”

“Listen. You should never make your happiness dependent on a partner. And if you’re dissatisfied with your life, you shouldn’t enter into a partnership just because you want to make up for it.”

“So… you don’t have a girlfriend because you’re dissatisfied with your life?”

She had a point.

“I have other priorities at the moment”, he explained.

Jesse laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Really? You have other priorities? I thought love was _love_. You're going to reject potential women because you have other priorities?”

“God” he pinched his nose “I meant that I’m not especially going to search for- Forget it. I’m not going to talk with you further about this topic. I have to go.”

“You’re not going to the lab.”

“No. I have to bring… bad news to a friend.”

“You didn’t have to lie, dad.”

Jesse was right. He just thought it would be easier and would spare him questions. No wonder their relationship wasn’t that good.

**Caitlin Snow**

A new year. It felt unreal and weird. She had gotten used to her new, _temporary_ , home. Still, she missed her friends and her Earth. Even her mother, if she was honest with herself.

Dr. Wells was avoiding her. Caitlin was grateful because she didn’t know how to look him in the eyes again. Frankly, it couldn’t go on forever. It was only a matter of time before they would see each other again. She got hot in her face when she thought about the Christmas party. A mix of shame and… something else. She ignored the something else.

Her colleagues had asked her again this week if she wanted to do anything. She had been on the verge of accepting. Dangerous terrain. Yesterday, she hadn't been allowed to visit Cisco. Without the weekly visit, she felt even lonelier than usual now. She wasn't allowed to say much to him and he had little to say, but it helped if they just saw each other. He was her only tie to her old, _real_ , life. She couldn't forget that. Even though her real life was beginning to feel more like a dream than the life she was leading right now. She couldn’t lose sight of her goal. Get Cisco and his abilities back. Travel to their Earth. Don't do anything so saying goodbye might be difficult. Therefore, she had cancelled on her colleagues again, and was lying in her bathtub to calm her nerves. Yes, her new apartment had a nice little bathtub.

The doorbell rang. Hastily she got out, dried herself roughly and put on a bathrobe. She checked the time. Huh. Sooner than expected. When she opened the door, her wallet in hand and ready to pay, it wasn't the delivery man standing in front of her but a certain boss of hers who had been avoiding her. And all at once she realized how little she was wearing right now and that water was dripping from her hair onto the floor. It was clearly not the situation she had expected. The delivery man would not have been surprised at her appearance and he would have only had a minute's sight of her. Dr. Wells was a different matter. She stared at him in surprise. Her heart started racing.

“Snow”, he greeted with a raspy voice, drawing her focus on his lips and reminding her of things she fought to forget.

Caitlin slammed the door shut.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Deep breaths!

She opened the door again, but only one crack and made sure that only her head was visible. Dr. Wells also seemed uncomfortable with the situation, as he stared at her longer than usual.

“Can I come in?”

Caitlin hesitated.

“Yes... One moment!”

She let him in and run into her bedroom to get dressed. She reached for the first clothes she saw. Blue yoga pants and a black top.

He looked out of place in her apartment, sitting on her small couch, and made the room smaller with his presence. What was he doing here? What did he want? And why couldn’t it wait till Monday? Caitlin also sat on the couch, at the other end so she wouldn’t accidently touch him.

“What are you doing here?”, she asked without hesitation. She wanted to know the reason why he had stopped avoiding her and showed up right at her door. On a Saturday night. Strange.

Dr. Wells cleared his throat. Since he'd entered her apartment he hadn't looked her directly in the eye. It wasn’t normal to her seeing him… _nervous_?

“You have a nice place.”

“Why are you here? After you’ve been avoiding me”, she said, clearly lacking the patience for small talk.

“I've been busy.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I'm not good at this…”

“Is it about the Christmas party? Look-“

“No”, he interrupted her “It’s not.”

She huffed frustrated.

“Just say it. Must be important if you forced yourself to come all the way here and couldn't wait until Monday.”

She really didn't mean to sound so bitchy, but Dr. Wells invaded her privacy by showing up here without a warning. Messing with her feelings.

“Revibe has kidnapped Cisco.”

“What?”

“Revibe has kidnapped your friend Cisco.”

“I got that! But when? And how?”

Caitlin jumped up, panic flooded her body. This had to be a bad joke!

“We know Revibe is planning something…”

It didn't take her long to understand what he was referring to.

“He’s going to use Cisco as a scapegoat.”

She got sick to the stomach. That was not good. Not good at all.

“Yes. He’s probably going to commit a crime and then present Cisco to the public as himself. The organisation cannot disclose that Revibe has a doppelganger.”

Her breathing quickened. It usually took a lot to get her into a panic attack, but it wasn't just the fear for Cisco that overwhelmed her. No, also the feeling that she was all alone now.

“Snow, calm down.”

“How am I supposed to _calm down_ when my friend has been _kidnapped_ by a _dangerous criminal_?”

Dr. Wells was _calm_ and she _couldn’t stand_ it. How could he be so emotionless when he was bringing such a message? It was clear he didn’t want to be here. Probably they had forced him to give her the news.

Tears were burning in her eyes. What if they were both wrong and Revibe was planning something completely different with Cisco? She didn’t want to think about it.

She took deep breaths. No, she couldn't allow herself to collapse in front of him. Cisco wasn't dead. Kidnapped, yes, but it wasn't the worst thing Dr. Wells could have told her. Caitlin had seen a lot of bad news. It wasn't the end. Well, not yet.

She sat down and turned her attention to her unwanted guest. He had to go, before she lost her last nerves. However, she had a question that left her with no peace of mind.

“Why didn’t you just text me? Or called?”

It didn't make sense to her that he'd been avoiding her for days, only to show up at her place now. And he wasn't here for the… _thing_. She had to call it a _thing_ in her mind to distance herself because his presence triggered memories.

He raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t think it would be good to pass this message on lines which aren’t safe.”

Good point. Maybe there was more, but she didn't want to misinterpret him. The answer had to be enough.

“Thank you for bringing me the news. You can go.”

When he didn't move, she sighed.

“Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

“No-“

“Well, then-“

“I don't want to talk about it, but we should talk about it. I just don't think right now is a good time.”

“Then leave.”

“Why?”

What were his intensions? This whole conversation was confusing her.

“Because I'm upset enough right now, and your presence isn't making this any easier.”

She told outright the truth. He seemed baffled by her bluntness.

“I’m not comfortable with leaving you in this emotional state.”

Now she was really surprised.

“Why? You did your job. Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid if that's what you're afraid of!”

“Snow”, he growled “I'm not here to argue with you!”

“Then what are you staying here for? You don’t want to talk about the _other thing_ and your job is done!”

“Do you want to talk about it?”, he asked. His voice was on edge.

Did she want to talk about what happened between them? No. But it would distract her.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” His blue eyes pierced her, but not in a bad way “I’m sorry. I don't know how this could happen and get out of control. It won't happen again.”

Caitlin ignored the painful stab in her chest. It didn’t make sense to her. She didn’t want relationships of any kind on this Earth. So why was she hurt by his words?

“Good, I wanted to apologize too. I don't know what came over me. It was a mistake to kiss you.”

He took in a shuddered breath.

“Yes, it was. I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

She lost herself in his eyes, he didn’t look away.

Yeah, they both knew it had been a mistake. He didn’t allow relationships between his employees, was her boss and had a lot to do. And she didn’t even belong on this Earth. So why did her gaze wander back to his lips?

She fought with herself and couldn’t believe her own ears when she said it out loud.

“Can you kiss me?”

“Snow”, he said, slowly shaking his head.

“I know. Just one more time. To distract me.”

She saw the fight in his face. Just because they both knew it wasn’t a good idea didn’t mean the attraction between them suddenly disappeared.

He crossed the distance and took her chin between his fingers. His closeness triggered all sorts of feelings inside her. Most of all a craving for his touch. Her fast-beating heart had a new reason. She moistened her lips.

“That’s not a good idea.”

“I know.”

“You’re emotional.”

“I know”, she whispered and closed her eyes, waiting for his decision.

“One more time”, he whispered back. Conflict hovered over every word.

His warm breath caressed her skin. Followed by his rough chin. It felt like an eternity until his lips were finally on hers. Caitlin suppressed a contented sigh. She didn't want to drive him away under any circumstances. Her distraction. It was oh so selfish of her. Probably self-destructive too. Tasting his lips again when she knew it shouldn’t and wouldn’t happen again. 

She held onto him as if her life depended on it. And in that moment, in a way, it did.

His smell, his touch, his presence. She couldn't help but forget everything else. Especially when his mouth became more demanding. His warm hands landed in her wet hair. And she herself landed on his lap, wrapping her legs around him and embracing his neck.

If she hadn't ordered food, it would have gone on longer. But the ringing of the doorbell snapped them both out of their little bubble. Dr. Wells let go of her hair. The realization that he had kissed her was written all over his face. Caitlin didn't want to see the remorse that would soon set in with him. She disentangled herself from their intimate position, fetched money and payed her food. The delicious smell spread quickly in her apartment. She had ordered more than she needed, since she had planned to eat the leftovers tomorrow.

“You like chinese food?”

Dr. Wells had stood up. God, it was awkward again.

“You wouldn't leave me alone in my condition, or how you put it, so you’re allowed to eat my food.”

This time he had kissed her, but she had literally begged for him to do so! She didn’t recognize herself. First, she had kissed him. The booze hadn’t been innocent. And now he had kissed her. In that case, she was agitated and needed a distraction. No honorable reason to kiss a man she shouldn’t be kissing. Only at the very end did the thought occur to her that he wouldn’t have kissed her if he hadn’t wanted it at least a little himself. Caitlin didn't know what to do with this realization.

But she was the one who had just taken advantage of him. It was only fair she offered him something to eat.

“I…”

“It’s enough for both of us”, she offered. She placed the food on the table and fetched dishes without waiting for another answer from him. To her relief, he sat at the small table when she came back. How quickly her mind had changed. At first, she had wanted him to disappear as soon as possible, and now she didn’t want him to leave her alone. Alone with her thoughts and fears. And if she was honest, he did stir her up emotionally, but he calmed her down at the same time, even if the mood between them was tense and a little uncomfortable now.

She smiled nervously.


End file.
